The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake
by Galala
Summary: Re-telling of "Cato, my friend." Cato and his childhood confidant are selected to participate in a new edition of the 74th Hunger Games, all while being forced to make the choice between survival and friendship, and love. Cato/OC, Male X Male. Reload
1. Chapter 1

This story is a re-telling of my first story _"Cato, my friend"_** I highly highly highly recommend you read it before reading this story. **Its not necessary but I think you can get a deeper understanding of Cato's relationship with Errol, and more of Errol's past.

It's also a reload. You know us writers...And yes I changed his name.

But otherwise I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 1

There we were, all the male tributes from district two were lined up so pretty and neat, all of us dressed properly for the great occasion, the reaping. I had heard that in other districts the reaping was a time of fear, but this was District 2. Here the reaping was a celebration, a feast for warriors and a chance at glory. I was in my place, lined up in the 17-18 year old boys bracket in the district courtyard with the female tributes across from us. I could see across to the girls Most of them were standing tall and defiant of fear.

Clove, I never liked that girl, she stood with a defiance and confidence of a wolf chasing a wombed rabbit. She was always abnormally aggressive, but all pre-trained tributes were, that's how they're raised, coupled with the natural aggression of District 2 you get the prefect warrior, just like Cato. In district 2 competing in the games is an honor, an honor some train years for, but I never shared that desire, I knew what the games were, they weren't a chance to fight for honor, they were just a chance to rob the world of its innocence. I looked down our line to see the males faces, they were much like the girls, all ready and anxious, but one stood more ecstatic than the rest, one of the boys was antsy with excitement and ready, ready to jump at the chance to prove himself worth of all the training, time and money spent on him, Cato, my friend.

The order went, myself, Marquis, Aviel, Reed, Jessup and Cato at the head of the line, but even from my place I could see Cato's fingers twitching, his breath speeding up and his smile slowly forming while the escort for District 2 came to the podium. He was a tall thin man by the name of Talmud, who would spend inordinate amounts of time talking about the glory of The Games and the power of the Capitol. Cato was getting too jittery and I whispered to him from down the line. He looked back at me, winked and smiled that Cato smile, something between genuine happiness and bloodthirsty satisfaction. He had told me earlier that I shouldn't worry, because no matter who was picked he would be the first to volunteer, I guess that's why he was so antsy, and why I felt so nervous... "Don't go Cato." I tried to whisper to him, knowing it was far too late to stop him now.

Eventually Talmud finished his speech and announced something odd. _**"Congratulations Ladies and Gentleman, I have some exciting news."**_ Talmud said swaying his hips side to side._** "We have word from the capitol about a special new Hunger Games! Isn't that lovely?"**_ Talmud directed us to the main screen where the Capitol logo appeared. The national anthem blared out and President Snow appeared on the screen. _**"Good evening, and Happy Hunger Games!"**_ Snow said in a booming voice. _**"To increase morale in Panem I am announcing a new set of rules for the 74th annual Hunger Games!"**_ As Snow spoke the audience cheered, to district 2 Snow was the leader, a symbol of power and strength, and even I'll admit, in the midsts of his speech I was awestruck. Something about this man had always captivated me, his voice, his power and more than anything his eyes, those snake like eyes. _**"There will be two new rules for the Games, Rule one!"**_ Snow cleared his throat before speaking, which snapped me back to attention. _**"The tributes chosen will not be a male and female from each district, instead it will be two females from the odd numbered districts and two males from the even numbered districts, they are to be selected from the random drawing system."**_ After Snow had finished the boys erupted into a firestorm of cheers. The pre-trained tributes would certainly have a fun year. _"Well, maybe with another boy in the arena, Cato has a better chance of winning."_ I thought, not joining in on everyones excitement.I looked down the line and Cato was cheering louder than anyone else. He looked back at me and winked. I smiled at him, _"Good luck."_ I mouthed, knowing that Cato would be going now more than ever. He continued smiling and nodded.

"_**Finally!"**_ Snow started again. _**"Finally when tributes are chosen, there will no longer be the option of another volunteering for tributes. These are the new ordinances for the Hunger Games. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!"**_ As Snow finished the screen flashed off and Talmud could be heard squeaking and clapping. The audience however, was very quite, oddly quite. It was the last of the new rules that shook people. There are far more regular children in district 2 than pre-trained tributes, and the thought that an innocent, inexperience, weak child might be thrown into the match was almost too much for people to bare, but I had an odd feeling it wasn't that innocent people would be selected to die, but weak people would die and dishonor District 2. I swallowed hard at the thought of anyone being caught up in the games, now the Capitols net was wider and stronger, now any boy in that courtyard could have been sent off to his death, even me.

"_**My this is going to be so exciting!"**_ Talmud said, shaking the audience back to attention. _**"But poor ladies, you cant compete. So sorry! Well, you may go back then, this ones for the boys!"**_ The girls walked back, some relieved but most were swearing under their breath. _**"Now lets begin with the drawings."**_ Everyone became still, even the girls stopped walking back, everyone turned to see Talmud pick the first name from the pot. _**"Right well lets see...ah. Our first male tribute, **_**Cato Eucliff!" **A bead of sweat finally went down my face when Cato was called, but at the same time my heart skipped a beat. Cato was called, he would fight, and kill, or he would be killed. I could see him smiling as he walked to the stage but it took everything I had not to start crying for Cato. I knew how things were, I knew what was expected of me, but I still couldn't stop my hands from trembling.

"_**Wonderful! Now lets find us our last male tribute!"**_ Talmud reached down and pulled out a new name from the pot. _**"Okay then, Lets see...Our final male tribute for the 74th annual Hunger Games! **_**Errol Sinclair!" **The cheering all at one died down. Cato stopped smiling and everyone looked at me, but I refused to look ant anyone else but Cato._** "Errol...Errol Sinclair? Where are you dear?"**_ The boys around me started moving away, leaving me dead in the center of the courtyard. _**"Come on, don't be shy."**_ Talmud said motioning me to the stage, but I refused to move. Some fight or flight instinct within me had warped into stillness, so I wouldn't move. Talmud must have become tired of my waiting so he snapped his fingers and two peacekeepers came to take me to the stage. I juts stood there, unable to move, unable to think or react. As they reached me I felt like I was the smallest and most helpless of children, not the 17 year old messenger who could run over 200 packages a day, and these two men were the largest and most malicious of beast coming to eat me alive. I immediately looked to Cato, pleading with my eyes for Cato to save me, to help me as he always did, but not even Cato could save me this time.

The peacekeepers took me on stage and dropped me next to Cato. "_Cato_..." I whispered out. He didn't look at me but only motioned me to stand up straight, which I quickly did. Cato knew that from the moment my name was called the Hunger Games began. He knew I had to be strong or I'd be dead before I even got to the arena. When Talmud finally finished his speech he took mine and Cato's hand and made us shake. As we did I finally looked in Cato's eyes, they were no longer filled with the promise of the games, they were dark, heavy and unless I was wrong, full of a hidden sadness.

Just like mine.


	2. Chapter 2 Follow Me

Hopefully this will be my last chapter of introduction. With any luck we will be getting to the really good stuff on the next chapter

But otherwise I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 2

_-Cato's view-_

As quickly as we were chosen Errol and I were whisked off to the Justice building. While we were escorted in, Errol was holding my hand like a vice grip and I could tell from his red eyes he was fighting back tears. I squeezed his hands harder than I should have and he softened his grip. I knew his cry baby ways needed to end now. Any weakness would be exploited and used as a means to kill him. The sooner he toughened up the better chance I had of keeping him alive. _"Damn it...Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why him? Why Errol?"_ I cursed inside my head. Of all people, of all the warriors and fighters in District 2 the only one without aggression was chosen. He was too gentle to fight, to meek to survive this game. I immediately started running a list in my head of his talents. He was a messenger, that was a definite plus, if their was any job that could help someone survive the games it would be a messenger, but that could only keep him alive, even a messenger couldn't win the games.

Finally the peacekeepers tried to separate us into out room at the opposite ends of the building, but as we were separated Errol refused to let my hand go, **"Let go Errol."** I only had to say it once before he released my hand. I looked back as he was taken down the hall, still trying to convey my message to him, _"Stay strong."_ Eventually We were led into our rooms and locked in. The only thing left to do was say our goodbyes.

Mom and Dad visited first, they were so proud. Mom told me the best methods of controlling the weaker Tributes and making them do my dirty work, just to stab them in the back when they had served their purpose. She had always been the master manipulator, but I never thought of that as a good way to win, if I was going to win it would be because of my strengths, not someones else's. After that Dad when on for a few minutes about how to make the deadliest cut with a knife, sword, spear and other weapons we had trained with over the years. The three of us planned for as long as we could before their time was up. As they left I called dad back in and he sat next to me. "Dad...about Errol." I said not looking him in the eyes. Errol and I always did have a complicated relationship, it was secret and pure. Dad chuckled, "You don't have to say anything. There's just something about a Sinclair." He said still smiling. I knew what dad meant. He patted me on the back and walked out of the room.

Later a few of my friends from class visited me, they all told me to win and make those lesser tributes suffer for daring to be in a game against me, as if they had a choice, but they too were hurried out after a few minutes. When the last of my friends and family left I couldn't help but look down the hall to Errol's room which was sealed shut. I wondered who he was saying goodbyes to, I wondered if he really had anyone to say goodbye to.

_-Errol's view-_

They placed me in a tall sparsely decorated room with one extremely large window going from floor to roof at the end of the room. I looked out the window to see almost all of district two below me. Sprawled out in a maze of buildings and shops. I waited for a long time, wondering if anyone would come and say goodbye to me, if anyone would even care. After mom had dies it was just me and my dad. I never had any real friends, just Cato, not that he was really a friend. After ten minutes I heard a commotion outside the door when my father busted in. He fell on the floor and I ran over to him and helped him up. He was tired, with ragged breath, like he had been running all around the city. "I'm sorry son, I'm sorry it took me so long." I took him to the couch and let him sit down. My father had been a messenger like me, probably the best one in District 2, but that was years ago. He had just retired last year and it was obvious that he couldn't move like the old days. He looked quite a bit like me, tan skin, dark hair (Though mine was longer) and a tall lanky body.

"I had..I had to get something for you." Dad said between breaths. He reached into his bag and pulled out my messengers scarf. It was a beautiful blood red scarf that each messenger was given when he or she was accepted into the messengers force. "Dad how...how did you get this?" I asked taking the scarf, gently holding it in my hands. Messengers may have been given the scarf but we weren't allowed to keep it, it was made from extremely expensive materials from the Capitol itself and any attempts to steal a messengers scarf was punishable with death. "I bought it for you. A messengers scarf always brings good luck." Dad said finally catching his breath. I could only imagine how tough it was to get this scarf. "All the boys at the mail hall chipped in, we wanted to send you off with all the luck we could." Dad said starting to tear up.

At the sight of this I immediately started crying. I had been part of the mail service for years, but I never knew how they felt about me. I silently thanked all of them, and held my scarf close. I saw dad starting to tear and I hugged him, clutching my scarf as hard as I could. "I love you Daddy. I'm so sorry." I said between my tears. Dad hugged my back and I could feel him sobbing with me. "I love you son, please...please come home." Dad pulled back, wiped his eyes and grabbed my scarf. He gently wrapped it around my neck and tossed it over my shoulder. "What is the motto of the messengers?" Dad said looking me in the eyes. I wiped my tears away and looked back at him as strong as I could. "We...we will never be...be caught." I finally chocked out.

Almost like clockwork the peacekeepers came into the room and escorted my father out. **"I love you son! Please come home!"** My dad managed to say one last time before he was taken out of sight.

"_I'm sorry daddy, I don't think I'll be coming home."_ That was the last thing I managed to think before the doors slammed shut, cutting me off from District 2 forever.

_-Cato's view-_

I was the first to be led out by the guards. No packing, no mementos, just one last goodbye and off to the Capitol. I had prepared for this journey my whole life so I wasn't afraid. As we walked out I saw Errol's father, Ewan, walking through the hall. He looked ragged, and like he had been crying. I had seen him from time to time, he was a bit like his son, kind but never soft. He was a district 2 man to the core. He caught sight of me and walked over. We looked at each other only for a second before he said something. "Please protect him...for as long as you can." He said standing strong, but I could still see the fear behind his eyes. I looked at him with all my strength.

"I will." I said. I said it strong, I said it with dignity, I said it as a man of District 2.


	3. Chapter 3 Good Hair

This is what I like writing, I hope you like reading almost as much.

But otherwise I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 3

_-Cato's View-_

Errol and I had finally be taken to the city station after a couple hours of saying goodbye. At the station I could see Errol looking up at the tower. The Station Tower was where we had our last real meeting before the reaping, but Errol didn't look for too long, because when I looked over at him he was already boarding the train, but I stood outside waving to everyone. All of District 2 had come to see us off in a wave of applause and love, but they were cheering for me, not for the tributes of District 2, but for me. I took every second to bask in their admiration before Talmud got me onto the train. "Their will be time for glory after you've won the game." Talmud said smiling. Part of my smile went away after he said that, but I continued on anyway. _"So...everyone thinks Errol's already dead."_ I said inwardly.

It was something I shouldn't have forgotten, or denied. Only one of us is going to walk out of the arena, and I finally realized that I couldn't protect Errol, if I had to kill him.

Eventually Talmud gathered Errol and I into the main car. Errol wasn't looking me in the eyes, did he finally realize what I had, he must have known. I noticed he was wearing his messengers scarf, and Talmud complemented it. Errol didn't say anything, he just touched his scarf and nodded his head. "Well, I'm going to look for Aphelandra, we really should get to planning." Talmud said leaving quickly. Aphelandra was our trainer and one of the most famous winers in the hunger games. I looked over at Errol again. He was still holding his scarf and being quite.

"Come on, we gotta do something fast." I grabbed Errol by the wrist and dragged him from his seat. I could hear him getting upset but I blocked him out and managed to get him to the bathroom. It was a large bathroom and the perfect size for what I wanted to do. "Okay take off your shirt." I said locking the door and grabbing a stool hidden in the linen closet. I turned around to see Errol staring at me wide eyed and still fully clothed. "I said take off your shirt, we need to do something and I don't want it getting dirty." This only confused Errol more and he started taking small steps away from me. "For fucks sake, come here." I grabbed him and placed him on the stool in front of the mirror. I took his scarf and put it on the towel rack, next I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Arms up!" As soon as I said it Errol's arms came flying up and his shirt came off. I knew his shirt was just about worthless now so I chucked it into the corner. Finally I put a towel around his shoulders and left him there still confused and bushing deep red.

"Oh shut up I've seen you shirtless before." I said while poking through the cabinets. "Ha! Got ya!" I said smiling in success. I pulled out a mid sized black case and a pair of scissors. I placed both of them on the sink at opposite sides of Errol. "Okay buddy, time for a trim." Errol tried to turn to yell at me, but when he started to move his head I grabbed him and turned him back forward. "Errol, you need to trust me. This pretty long hair you've got is doing noting good for you, not now." I said coming close to his ear. "You need to let me do this okay?" I waited for his response but all I got was a head nod. "All right, close your eyes bud, I'll tell you when I'm done." Errol closed his eyes and I opened the black case. I pulled out the hair clippers and flipped the switch. It immediately started buzzing and Errol clenched his eyes tight. "You ready?" I asked getting nervous myself. "I'm ready." Said Errol, giving me his first real response of the day. I used the largest clipper head and went from the top of Errol's head down. Errol's long black hair came falling like black water as it hit the bathroom floor, where there was once long thick hair, was now only short cropped black hair. "Okay...we're in it now."

_-Errol's view-_

I swallowed back a scream when Cato pressed the clippers against my head. I could feel my heavy hair drop t the floor and disappear onto the self cleaning floor. Cato went slowly shaving down the back and sides of my hair. He went carefully, easily, and it all felt so relaxing. I couldn't see what he was doing but I could feel hand hear every shave. Eventually he flipped off the clippers and took to the scissors. He started working on the top of my head and clipped of lock by lock. He went back and forward between the clippers and scissors for abut twenty minutes. Eventually I heard him put down the clippers and scissors and I could feel him running his hands through what was now my hair. He put something cold onto my head and ran his finger through it one last time. "Okay...okay okay. Not bad at all." Cato said finally letting me go. "Okay, you can open them." With Cato's command I finally got open my eyes and see what he had done. My once long, shaggy dark hair was now clipped to almost nothing. The sides were shaved very short while the top was kept long and styled up, Cato must have put some sort of product in to keep it up. It looked incredible, with a mix of sleek and sharp, like a modern day mohawk, but with no bald scalp showing anywhere.

"What you think?" Cato said quickly, probably still nervous about his work. "Cato, its amazing." I said running my fingers through it. It was perfect, I may have still been calm and gentle on the outside but this new hair portrayed an edgy and powerful young man, ready for the games. I smiled at Cato for the first time that whole day. I got up and hugged him, and he didn't push me away or stiffen up, he put his arms around me and smile back. When he pulled away he was covered in hair that had fallen off onto me and my bare chest. "Why don't you take a shower and meet me in the dining car?" He asked dusting himself off. I laughed and stripped while Cato left.

_-Cato's view-_

I waited in the dining car stuffing food into my mouth with Aphelandra and Talmud. It was funny to see the look and Talmud's face while I ate and Aphelandra just laughed at Talmud's squeamishness. Aphelandra sat at the end of the table balancing a steak knife between her fingers, she was a tall amazon type of woman with high cheek bones, tan skin, like Errol, and long straight black hair. She was almost taller than me but had the curvy figure of any normal woman. She had earned the reputation of District 2's best warrior, for she was bale to win her Hunger Games completely unscathed, and it was not for lack of fighting. We all sat in silence until Errol came into the car wearing a white v-neck shirt and black jeans. He had fixed his hair like I had it, and I had to admit, he looked damn good. "Hot damn, can I cook or what?" I said aloud, but no one was looking at me. Talmud's sat slack jawed staring at Errol's new look and Aphelandra, who had never met Errol, seemed pleased with her other trainee.

"**Errol! Is that you boy?"** Talmud said dropping his drink on the floor. He got up and circled Errol, giving him a good looking over. _"Its me."_ He said with his usual gentle tone. "It was my idea." I said swallowing my last bite of steak. "I knew he needed an edge, intimidation if half the fight." Aphelandra smiled at my remark. "He's right, the second they lay eyes on you the other tributes will be judging you watching you, seeing if your work a knuckle down brawl or a swift cut in the throat." Aphelandra said crossing over to Errol. Talmud backed away and made me get up and stand next to Errol. **"Oh my you two look absolutely fabulous. Like the ancient warriors of Byzantium."** Talmud said more ecstatic than was necessary. I looked at Errol, he was standing taller than normal and I finally noticed that he was only about an inch or two shorter than me. He had always seemed so small, but as he stood tall, with the look of a survivor in his eyes I had hope.

I smiled, we finally stood a chance.

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After dinner Aphelandra, Errol and I stayed in the dining car taking about the games. Aphelandra spoke clearly and didn't waste a single word. She had Errol and I hooked. I was trying to pay attention to her but I could see the focus in Errol's eyes, I wondered if he was listing so intently because he wanted to survive. Did he think he could? Part of me became upset, not angry but upset, almost offended. Errol should have known he couldn't win, but he was looking and hoping like someone who stood a chance. All at once I stopped myself. What was I thinking? Errol deserved to listen, he deserved to fight with all his power and try to win, no matter who he was Errol deserved a chance to live.

After a couple hours Aphelandra finished and Errol left the car. "Goodnight Cato," Was the last thing he said before leaving Aphelandra and I alone. I got up to leave but Aphelandra grabbed my arm and forced me back into my seat. "We need to talk about your...friend." She dragged out the last word and I sat down, looking intently at her. "That boy is no warrior, he's a weak thing, full of emotions and fears that will weigh him down. It doesn't matter if he's dressed like a killer, looks can only get you so far."Aphelandra spoke, never taking her eyes off mine. "Your friend's going to die, and if he tries to fight he's going to die in an awful way. Only one of you can walk out of that arena, you know that." She paused and rubbed her eyes before going on. "Now I don't know what your exact relationship to that kid is and I don't want to know, that's not my business, but when he gets into the arena one of two things is going to happen." I just kept staring at her, thinking, if I kept looking at her I wouldn't have to accept the truths she was telling me.

"Either he's going to get killed, or you're going to kill him." She said like it was the harshest and most obvious fact in the world. "Its simple. So it seems you have a choice to make. Either you kill him early, making it quick and painless, or let him fight and watch the games destroy him little by little, watch as the others tear him apart and leave him a mass of pain you could never recognize as your friend." She looked back at me in disgust. "Show the kid some mercy and do it yourself." She finished and left the car, no longer satisfied with talking to me. I could only guess it was because somewhere in the middle of her speech I had started crying. They were hot silent tears that proved how much I cared about Errol, they was no sobbing or blubbering, but distinct tears coming down my face. I just sat there, frozen in the dining car, I wasn't thinking about anything really, if I did I knew I would have to think about Errol, and how I would have to kill him to save his life.

I walked down the bedroom cars, looking at all the room that weren't mine. I knew my car was at the back of the train but I didn't care, I wasn't looking for my room. I finally saw a door with light coming out from under it, this was the room I was looking for. I knocked and waited for a second before Errol opened the door. He seemed surprised to see me but let me in without protest. He sat on his floor going over some papers, battle plans I guess. I sat on the bed and looked down at him. He looked so small again, just hours ago he looked so tall and strong and now there he was, so small and insignificant again. He said something to me but I wasn't listening to him, not anymore.

He finally got my attention when he sat on the bed and turned his back to me. "Cato you did amazing on my hair, ever think about doing this like legit?" He asked still running his hand through his hair. I chuckled and shrugged. I put my hand on his head and played with his hair. He laughed as I did and he got into a position with him on the floor between my legs and me on the bed still fiddling with his hair. We started talking like old time, about the most useless things, like nothing had changed. At one point the two of us were laughing so hard it got hard to breath. This is what it was like when Errol and I were alone, just us, allowed to be us. I fingered his hair for a few more minutes, "I missed a couple spots," I said still inspecting my work. "You can practice when you go back home." Errol said closing his eyes.

I immediately stopped touching him, I held my hand in place wondering if he understood everything he just said. He was motionless, eyes closed with a strangely peaceful look on his face. "Cato, I know I'm going to die." He said opening his eyes. "I'm not afraid, not anymore." I went back to touching his hair as he talked. "It will be okay Cato, I don't have regrets, you're here with me, and I know my father will forgive me for not coming home." I could feel those silent tears welling up in my eyes, but I just kept stroking his hair.

"Cato, I don't know how I will die, maybe it will be the environment, wildlife, the tributes or even you." He looked up at me when saying the last part, and it was almost too much. "Cato when I die will you do something for me?" He asked still looking at me, I only nodded. "If you can, if you can find me or if I am with you. Will you stay with me when I die?" He said the last words with red eyes and small tears. My emotions finally got the better of me and I plucked up Errol from the ground. I put him on the bed and had him between my legs, still facing back to me. "I'll find you. No matter where you are I'll find you and stay with you until the end. I promise." I held him as tight as I could, I could hear him sniffling but I could see him smiling, that's really all he wanted. All he wanted was to be with me in the end.

I eventually let him go and pulled his shirt off. He got under his blanket and got comfortable. We'd be in the capitol in the morning and he deserved to have one nights sleep. I got up and turned off his light, "Goodnight, Errol." I said leaving the room.

"_Cato."_ I heard Errol call from his room, it was almost a whisper but I heard it clear. I went back and I saw him sitting up looking at me. "Yeah?" I asked, turning oh his light and coming to the foot of his bed.

Errol fidgeted for a second. "Cato, will you stay with me tonight?" He asked still upright. "Yeah." I said getting up.

I turned off the light and locked the door tight. I took off my jacket and shirt then moved onto the bed, and then on close to Errol.

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For those who couldn't picture it, think of Errol as Zayn Malik. I was going for his hair style as Errol's new hair cut.


	4. Chapter 4 Zen

We've reached prominence, the Capitol. Let the games begin.

Told from entirely Errol's view

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 4

_-Errol's view-_

I woke up after only a few hours of sleep, It was still dark outside so I guessed it would have been about 5 am. I looked over at Cato, still deep asleep and enjoying whatever he was dreaming about, so I decided not to wake him. He looked so serene, so at peace with himself and everything around him. I had heard that about a hundred years ago their was a popular term called, "_Zen_," used by what was called "_surfers"_ on the western side of the country. They said Zen was always very relaxed and calm, at one with themselves and the world, and looking at Cato, he seemed very Zen at the time. However, I laughed when he let out a snort and turned to his side, trying to get deeper under the covers. He looked so funny in such an uninhibited position, with his hair matted and messy, but that's what he got for sleeping in it without washing out his hair gel.

I walked into the bathroom and rinsed my hair and face, just to wake me up. With the product washed out of my hair it fell and took a more normal appearance. I brushed it through my fingers and smiled at it, _"This feels more...me," _I thought to myself. I would probably wear it up more in the future, but seeing it fall flat over my forehead made me feel like my old self. At once I stopped fixing myself and looked intently in the mirror, I looked at myself a few times, at a few different angles. I didn't feel any different, I didn't really look any different, so was anything really supposed to change after it was done. _"Maybe if things were different,"_ I thought somewhat disheartened. I don't regret it happening but I wished it had happened in a different time, a different place, but not that it made anything less special.

I left the car after whispering goodbye to Cato. I walked down the hall looking out the window. I knew we would be in the Capitol in a few hours, but strangely I didn't feel nervous. Maybe I was becoming more Zen, maybe I was finally at peace with my death, which was coming faster than the bullet train we were riding on. I walked to the back of the train where I knew their was an out door terrace. There were straw woven chairs and a bar so one could sit enjoy the fresh air. When I walked out I saw Miss. Aphelandra lying in one of the straw chairs. She was fully awake and smoking a cigarette in one hand. I wasn't surprised to see her awake though, it was common that most victors have trouble sleeping at night. "Good morning Miss. Aphelandra." I said as I stepped outside. She turned to look at me but frowned when she realized who it was, and went back to her relaxing. "Do you mind if I sit out here?" I asked coming up to her side. She didn't look all to happy but she unfolded her hand towards the chair opposite her.

We sat in silence for several minutes, neither of us doing anything, except that Miss. Aphelandra would occasionally take a drag on her cigarette and blow out smoke, but I was grateful she did. I had never smoked before but the smell of a cigarette always calmed me down. My father was a smoker, and my mother was a smoker before her accident, I knew the smoke was bad for me but I never thought about it that way, for me the smell reminded me of home. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, taking a small whiff of the smoke. Miss. Aphelandra noticed me inhaling and offered me one, but I politely refused. We sat for a few more seconds in silence before I finally said something.

"I'm not stupid Miss. Aphelandra, I know I'm going to die soon." I said opening my eyes. Aphelandra didn't respond so I kept going. "I am going to die very soon, and the best I can hope for is a quick, merciful death, I know that." I said looking at her again. "But I don't want to die like some worm, like I am nothing but a burden for Cato to euthanize." Aphelandra was looking at me intently. "I can't win, but he can. That boy can win and we all know that. So please, please help me support him. If I can do anything with the remainder of my life I want to use it helping Cato to survive, and win." I looked down at my hands which were clasped together tightly, "Cato and I...we both know whats going to happen, and we've...come to terms. I know you can Aphelandra, so help me save my best friend!" I was standing at this point, looking her dead in the eyes. She stared at me with hard eyes and didn't budge an inch.

She smirked and threw a punched at my face. It hit hard and knocked me back, but before I fell I was able to put my hands back and flipped away from her. When I looked up back at her she charged me balling up her fist for another attack. I put my leg out and quickly slid behind her grabbing her shoulder as I stood back up. She turned quickly and elbowed me in the side, forcing me back even further, before I even looked up she kicked out and nearly got me in the head. I dipped back and forced both of my legs up to kick her back. She dogged and grabbed my leg, lifting me like a rag doll. She grabbed my arm and raised me over her head, content to slam me down and put me out of commission. As she threw me down I grabbed her shoulder again and planted my feet firmly on the ground, stopping my fall. Before she could knock me away I grabbed her other shoulder and spun holding her as tight as I could. She was incredibly heavy but as I spun she finally raised off the ground. With all my strength I threw her from her shoulders and tossed her oh her side to the end of the terrace.

She rolled a few times before hitting the railing and finally stopped. She got up and dusted herself off like it was nothing. I however was forced to my knees breathing hard and already sweating. It seems that I could run and jump for miles but fighting for thirty-seconds was too much for me. She walked over to me and offered her hand. "Well, seems like you aren't a complete waste." She said smiling. I knew this was probably the best I could hope for with her so I took her hand and we left the car.

We walked down the hall and saw Cato awake, getting ready. "Morning." I said as Aphelandra went back to her room. "Mornin...The hell?" Cato said spitting out his toothpaste. He came over to me and took my face in his hands. "What happened to you?" He asked inspecting my bruise. I laughed, "Miss. Aphelandra and I came to an...understanding." I said looking up at him. Cato gave me a tired look and went back to the bathroom. "Get dressed, Talmud says we'll be at the Capitol in a few minutes." After Cato finished I started changing. From his position in the bathroom Cato could probably see everything as I changed, but after what had happened, modesty between the two of us seemed...redundant. We both got ready and headed for the dining car were Aphelandra and Talmud were already waiting.

"**Oh look, look!"** Talmud said jumping around the window. Cato and I crowded around him to see something coming from the dark mountains. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains the Capitol emerged like a palace of the sun. As we drew closer the city unfolded before us like a kingdom of light. It was so beautiful, nothing compared to District 2. It made the station tower look like a cheap stone pillar. As we drew closer I smiled inwardly at my last thought.

"_This...this looks like a good place to die."_


	5. Chapter 5 Playground of Gods

We just got here and already something stupid happens.

Fun in the tributes building

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 5

_-Errol's view-_

As we drew closer to the city we could see the waves of capitol citizens cheering for our arrival. District 2 was always infamous for producing strong tributes so I could only guess the fans and sponsors wanted to get a good look at us first. Cato and I were dressed casually, both wearing wine colored shirts that hugged us in the right places and matching white jeans. Miss. Aphelandra and Talmud agreed that presenting us as a matching set was a good idea. "Okay make sure to stay together as long as you can, you're not going to be separated until you're assigned to your rooms so stay close to one another and don't wander off." Aphelandra said surveying the crowd. "And damn it stop holding hands." She said getting tired of telling us this. Ever since last night Cato and I almost seemed attached at the hip, but we still let go of each other, more afraid of Miss. Aphelandra than wanting to show our affections.

She knew our affection towards each other would be construed as weakness. Say what you will about Miss. Aphelandra but she didn't win her Hunger Games with brawn, she won it with brains. The train doors opened and we were rushed to the front to cheers and screams of adoration. The Capitol swooned like school girls drunk on our appearance. Cato immediately started smiling and started posing for the crowd, eliciting more cheers. Cato grabbed my hand and forced it into the air with a battle cry. I could hear people screaming _I love you _and _marry me,_ and a few of them were yelled by what seemed liked men. The guards had to pull us from the platform before Cato started stripping. We were ushered past the roaring crown and flashing cameras to our car which would take us to the tributes apartments. After we got into the car Cato and I busted out laughing. The all mighty and powerful Capitol had been brought to its knees by two kids from District 2. Talmud slapped our legs making us straighten, I remembered Talmud was finally home and he didn't want us making a scene. "Hey...Hey driver man!" Cato said rising from his seat, still blunt as always. "Put on some music." Talmud was fuming in his seat as the driver flipped on the radio and a song started playing.

"_Ahhhh_! The Toadies!" I said immediately recognized the song. The Toadies had been a popular band back in District 2, about 3 years ago they had hit it big and moved to the Capitol, apparently they were still doing good. Cato had taken me to their concert years ago when they were still in District 2, he mostly took me because it was dark and crowded and almost no one we knew would be there but it was still a good memory. I remember meeting at the PrimWorks, the district 2 underground theater, and having one of the best nights of my life. As the song started Cato and I bobbed our heads to the beat, Talmud giggled and I realized our heads were moving at the same pace.

"You two seem...more synced than before." Miss. Aphelandra said, her arms crossed like always.

"Mind your business." Cato said defensively, and for a second I could swear I saw Cato blushing.

After a short ride we arrived at a large building, but the world _building_ did the structure no justice. It was taller than anything back home, it stood decorated with stain glass windows taller than some small mountains. Cato and I were forced to stop and marvel at it. It was like a temple of god, tall as the clouds and in some places more grand than the sunrise. In all my life I hoped I'd never have to see something as grand as the morning, but to see this building, in all it majesty shook me, it finally made me consider what the capitol was truly capable of. That if they could create something akin to god in a building, what would they be capable of doing in the arena, where they were god.

Cato pushed me forward and we entered the building, unfortunately the inside was no less grand. Cato kept pushing me forward into what looked like a crystal elevator. _"Beautiful."_ I said touching the clear crystal. I could see Cato looking at me from out of the corner of my eye, he seemed concerned with something, but I didn't bother asking what it was. We rode the elevator up and were escorted out by two peacekeepers. We were finally separated when Cato was put into the first room down the hall, and I was taken near the middle.

_-Cato's view-_

Errol must have been taken to his stylist because an older, rather unattractive woman was standing in the middle of the room. She was fair skinned with a large blond wig with neon orange tips. She motioned me to the center of the room and gave me a quick look over. "Not..bad. Not bad in the least." She mumbled to herself. The woman introduced herself as Sandersonia, she was the newest stylist for District 2. Apparently she was hired last year after a horrible performance from the previous stylist. The reports staid the last stylist was fired, but knowing the Capitol she was probably executed. Sandersonia had me strip and lay on a cold metal table while her styling crew, or my new prep team, worked me over. They spent too much time cleaning ever nook and cranny. They said my skin was far too rough and wanted to dip me in a special vat of sin softener. After a quick nasty look they stopped pushing me. After about an hour I was finally able to get dressed and headed down the hall, finally having a few hours to myself before dinner.

I mostly walked around, looking at the building where we would be staying for the next few days. For the longest time I just kept looking at everything around me, trying to see what Errol was so hypnotized about, but as I crossed into the main hall I saw Errol and another boy talking. I moved back behind the wall and watched the two of them. The boy, or really young man, was about six feet tall, just an inch or two shorter than me, he had dark hair and olive colored skin. By his big frame he looked like a hard worker, and I guess he looked attractive...if someone was into that sort of thing. I kept watching them wondering just what Errol was doing talking to someone. I didn't know if he was a worker, stylist or tribute, but whatever he was I didn't want him talking to Errol.

_-Errol's view-_

"Okay so thats three floors up and to the...East wing?" I asked still confused with the boys direction.

"The North wing." He quickly corrected.

"Oh sorry, the North wing, got it." I said still scribbling his directions on my note pad. "Well, thank you, errr." I said confused, but still holding out my hand.

"Gale." He said accepting my gesture.

"Gale. Thanks." I said smiling. He left down the hall opposite from us and I went to the elevator to the dining hall. When I got in I saw Cato scramble our from a corner and get in the elevator. "_Heya_." I said, ignorant of how angry he really was.

"Who the fuck was that?" Cato asked still visibly upset.

"Who? That guy from earlier?" I asked turning to where the two of us had talked. Cato only nodded, "Oh he as just some worker here, I think, anyway he gave me directions to the dining hall." I said grinning at him.

"Their are no workers here Errol, just slaves called Avox's. They cant speak...well, not anymore." Cato said looking oddly serious.

"So...who was that?" I asked still horribly confused. "I don't know, lets hope it wasn't another tribute." Cato stopped looking at me and I knew he was frustrated. All the hard work of making me look strong and tough was flying out the window. In an instant I may have revealed my true nature to another tribute and it would certainly be used to kill me before I could be any use to Cato.

The two of us spent our dinner in silence. The tension between the two of us was strong and awkward. Even Talmud was silent, but Miss. Aphelandra wasn't going to sit in silence for long. "What did you do?" She asked looking at me. I didn't look at her and just kept picking at my dinner.

"We think he may have talked to another tribute." Cato said diverting her attention. She rubbed her eyes, stressed that she was still having to deal with my greenness.

"You...you talked to another tribute." She said stressing every word. I nodded still afraid to say anything to her.

"Who was it?" Talmud asked, unaware of how bad the situation could be.

"He said his name was Gale. He's a tall guy, dark hair, olive skin." I said turning to Talmud. looked at Talmud and nodded heir head. Talmud pulled out a few papers and gave them a quick once over.

"Oh dear...dear dear." Talmud said after pulling out a single page.

"Gale Hawthorn, District 12 tribute." Talmud handed the paper to Miss. Aphelandra who looked even more frustrated after reading it.

"Perfect, you just pegged yourself as a weakling to your competition." She threw the paper on the table and walked out, no longer content to deal with my screw up.

Talmud had is head down silent, Cato was much the same and I realized that my ignorance and carelessness may have just costed me something more important than my life, it may have costed me Cato's.


	6. Chapter 6 Don't go Alone

Death comes to us all in the end

Lets just hope that we find a beautiful way to leave life.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 6

_-Cato's view-_

I left Errol and Talmud in the dining hall. Something inside me wanted to hurt Errol, make him suffer for his mistake, but I couldn't so I left. I got my room assignments from the floor attendant and laid on my bed trying to calm down. I stared at the high ceiling of my room hoping it would tell me what I needed to do to keep Errol alive. To the others it was all about sacrificing Errol to keep me alive, but I didn't think that way. I knew there would only be one winner, and I knew it would be me. Errol would die, but part of me couldn't accept that. Whenever I would think of battle plans flashes of me memories would distract me, the memories were always of Errol.

I fell asleep quickly, but it didn't last. I dreamt that Errol and I were on a field longer than the sea. It was filled with long deep grass and wild flowers brighter than sun. The air was warm and clear, it was a paradise far from the Hunger Games, and Panem. I could feel myself smiling and having Errol next to me made the paradise all the sweeter. I reached out for Errol's hand but when I looked over he had vanished. The grass where he had stood was undisturbed, the wind flowed like he had never been there. It was like the whole world had forgotten about Errol's life. I knew what my dream was telling me, I knew what my head was trying to say. It was telling me that my life was a paradise, and even if Errol was gone my life would still be a paradise. Everything around me was telling me to let him go, and I knew at some point I would have to, but as a cold feeling went down my face I opened my eyes and wiped my cheeks to see I was crying. I got up and went to the bathroom, and sure enough my eyes were red and wet, "Shit." I said out loud. I splashed my face with water and tried to calm down, I was doing a lot of that lately, trying to calm down. I knew sleeping was out of the question, trying to clear my head was becoming harder and harder. I didn't want to think about him, I didn't want to remember how warm he felt against me, to forget him was something I couldn't do alone.

I got up from my bed, numb. My head was still and weak, I didn't know what I was doing but my feet took me where I was supposed to do._ "I cant do it alone."_ I repeated to myself in a whisper. I went out into the hall and saw an Avox girl recovering plates and trays from another room, she was mildly attractive, but I knew I didn't need much. I walked over to her and she immediately bowed when she saw me. "Come with me." I said taking her arm. She didn't object or fight, she knew what was going to happen, it had probably happened to her several times before. I took her to my room and told her what to do. I locked the door as she undressed and I followed suit, undressing as well and following her into bed.

_-Errol's view-_

It had been a horrible night. It was a harsh dreamless sleep that couldn't have ended sooner. There was no light when I woke up, it still must have been early, too early. I sat up in bed and saw my scarf folded on the chair across the room. The scarf reminded me of my life back home, of the messenger boy who bounced from building to building, careless and weak, but as I looked at the scarf, beautiful and red, my old life seemed so far away. I didn't want to leave the room, but I did want to see Cato. If there was anyone who could make me feel better after what had happened, it could be him. I knew he would probably still be upset with me, but he wasn't the kind to hold a grudge, so maybe it would be okay to talk with him. The hall was empty and calm. It must have been 5 or 6 in the morning, so I knew people would be getting started eventually. Today would be our first day in the training center, Cato and I would have to make our plans today and see if that Gale guy would be trouble for us after all.

After a few minutes of searching I found Cato's room. I reached to knock but pulled my hand back at the last second. I stared at the door confused, it was radiating this horrible, oppressive feeling. Part of me knew whatever was behind that door was evil, and dark but I was sure it was Cato's room. I touched the door knob and felt the latch click, apparently whoever locked it did it in a rush because the door was cracked and the lock didn't place properly. I only just touched the door and it moved open under its own weight. Cato had a much larger room than I and the door opened only to a sitting room that led to his bed. I walked in and immediately covered my nose, it smelled awful.

There was broken bottles, half eaten food and damaged furniture scattered about. "Cato?" I called at only half volume. I moved through the room as carefully as I could, dodging the occasional piece of class or plate of rotting food. "Cato?" I said again, this time a bit louder. I heard a gurgling coming from the bed room, I slowly made my way there to see Cato under the blankets, with a large lump laying next to him. The bedroom was even worse and I finally found the source of the terrible smell. The lump next to Cato moved to show a woman, a woman with brown hair cuddling next to him. "Cato..." I said standing in the room entrance refusing to move. It came to me only in flashes, the awful smell, the broken bottles that smelled like alcohol, the girl next to Cato and the oppressive feeling I felt earlier. Cato finally stirred and looked up at me. He looked at me for only a moment, eyes empty as pit and a face absent of regret.

"Get out." He said putting his head back down. I didn't move, I couldn't move. A depression was creeping up my spine paralyzing me. Cato looked back up, he shot me a disgusted look. I was crying, my whole body was numb but my eyes betrayed my stillness. "Get out." He said rising from his bed. He was naked but it didn't stop him from coming closer. "Get out, deadman." He said coming too close. I could smell the alcohol drifting off his breath and the scent sickened me. He started pushing me away, closer to he door. "Dead man walking!" He said laughing, still forcing me out of the room. I still wasn't speaking, I just stared at him, my vision hazy with my tears, but Cato could read my eyes, he answered the question I couldn't make myself think. "Because you're already dead, and the sooner I move on, the sooner I can be happy. Now go lie down deadman, and stay there...forever." He pushed me out of the room and slammed it close, making sure to lock the door.

I just stood out there for a few minutes, unthinking. My body moved absent of my direction. I was a deadman. A corpse with not enough sense to lie down, and Cato had finally tossed me aside. What was the point of holding onto something that would expire in only a few days? Cato had never told me he loved me. I thought back to that night on the train and remembered what was said, lots of words, lots of passion but in our haze only I could remember saying I love you.

I moved to the elevator and took it to the top floor. When the doors opened the cold air rushed over me, freezing me more than I already was.

There was a beautiful garden on the roof, Cato would have liked it there.

I walked to the edge, seeing the sun come up over the Capitol as I did. As I walked towards the sun I saw someone sitting on the edge of the building. He was a boy, tan skin, long dark hair with a red scarf flapping in the breeze. He was looking over the city, dangling his feet over the air chewing on a piece of lemon cake. He was me, or what used to be me. I envied this boy so much. He would never have to know my pain, he would live with Cato in district 2, blissfully unaware of the fact that the one he loved did not loved him. I closed my eyed and looked away from the boy, knowing that he had died long ago.

Then without a pause, without a moment of hesitation I walked over the edge, content to follow the morning sunlight to the end of my life.


	7. Chapter 7 Topaz

He was June and he was Johnny Cash

Time for you to grow up Errol.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 7

_-Errol's view-_

Growing up me and my father weren't exactly close, but I don't blame him for that. After my mother died things went from bad to worse quickly. My father began running double, triple shifts as a messenger and even started working in the mines to support us. He would run himself ragged everyday trying to provide for me, but I was never ungrateful. I would go to school, clean the house and cook food for us while dad worked himself to the bones. Sometimes I wanted to talk to him, especially when it was a bad day at school, but when he would walk in the house, tired with ragged eyes my problems seemed so useless, so I would heat him up a plate of food and he would go to bed. I always felt bad for my father, he didn't have time to morn for my mother, he had a child and his life became supporting me.

My mother had died when I was very young, and honestly I don't really remember much about her. On one of his extremely rare days off my Dad had showed me pictures of the two of them when they were young. She was so beautiful, the most spectacular woman to ever live. She was tall, with green eyes and long thick blonde hair. I got a lot of traits from my dad, my tan skin, my dark hair, but my eyes...my eyes were my mothers, dark green with flecks of brown all around them. She was the joint commander of the peacekeepers for District 2, and was notoriously strong willed. She died after what was later described as, _"A training experiment gone horribly wrong,"_ but dad and I always had our...suppositions.

It was strange, my last thoughts weren't of Cato, but of the people who had truly loved me, but I couldn't help but wonder what my mother would have thought of me now. Her son, her only child tossing himself from a roof, so weak and fragile as to be broken by not his impending death, but by a man. Would she be ashamed, or would she embrace me and tell me it would be okay? Either way I would ask her when I died, which I finally noticed was taking an awfully long time.

I opened my eyes, squinting at the sunlight hitting my face. My eyes were groggy and heavy. I looked around and saw I was laying in grass, with flowers all around me. Butterflies were fluttering around me and several were crawling on my face. _"Where am I?"_ I thought, dusting the butterflies off my face. I sat up and smelled something that shouldn't be in a fabulous place like this. It was smoke, but not fire smoke, the smoke of a cigarette. I turned and saw Miss. Aphelandra sitting on the grass and smoking. Next to her a blue haired woman sat crossed legged, I immediately recognized her as Miss. Salome, my stylist. A young pretty thing who was wise far beyond her years. "So, back from the dead are we?" Miss. Aphelandra asked crossing over to me. Miss. Salome followed and the two stood over me. "You're not the first to try that and probably wont be the last. The Capitol has always taken...precautions to make sure the tributes stay alive." The two of them sat back down on either side of me.

"What are we going to do with that sad looking face?" Miss. Salome said talking hold of my chin and inspecting me. I realized that I was back on top of the building, laying in the garden. I guess someone had come looking for me and they had dragged me into the grass. The three of us sat looking into the garden for a few moments before I finally said something.

"I slept with him." I said not looking at either of them, but I could feel their attention fixated on me. "The night on the train...before we arrived in the Capitol...We slept together." I looked up and saw confusion on Miss. Salome's face but Miss. Aphelandra was already lighting up another cigarette.

"Of course you did." She said obviously frustrated.

"So that's what that whole uproar was about." We both turned to Miss. Salome who started speaking out of nowhere. "I heard some tribute had slept with an Avox girl and trashed his room. There isn't much you cant do when you're a tribute but destroying Capitol property is a big no no." I pressed Miss. Salome for more information but she just waved me off.

"All I know is that he snapped and nearly killed the girl, people are saying he's been detained and kept quite until he's _stabilized_." Miss. Salome said smiling at the newest scandal.

"Do you want to go see him?" Miss. Aphelandra said handing me her cigarette.

I took a quick puff without thinking about it. I blew the smoke through my teeth and leaned my head back. "No, not right now. Maybe eventually but nows not a good time." She only nodded. "Today's our first day of training right?" I asked.

"Yes, but Cato wont be joining the main group until later." Miss. Aphelandra said stamping out the cigarette in the grass.

"That's okay, we need to prepare without him." I stood and walked back to the elevator, with my two guardians following closely. Miss. Aphelandra seemed curious what I meant by planning without Cato, but figured I was entitled to my secrets.

"One quick stop." Miss. Salome said taking me back to my room. We walked in and there was a box sitting on my bed. Miss. Salome opened the box and handed me my new training clothes. "You'll need to look the part." She said while I changed. The uniform was a black and red shirt with black pants, but it just didn't look right. I fiddled with the outfit when Miss. Aphelandra came and put a hand on my shoulder.

"God you're skinny. Don't worry though, well build some muscle on you yet." The next few days moved by quickly, but were the most intense physical training I would ever face. Miss. Aphelandra had me working all day everyday. We covered everything from basic self-defense, mental conditioning, physical conditioning, survival skills, medical skills, foraging, and hunting, Miss. Aphelandra was smart enough not to waste time on advanced combat, she told me that I was more than capable of running and dodging and that would be enough for me.

As I feared the young man, Gale, was there as well. He proved himself a spectacular fighter and easily the best archer in the group. His fellow tribute a shorter, blonde, stalky, young man, was less impressive, but managed to turn some heads with his strength and artistic stylings. Miss. Aphelandra and I were careful to make sure I did just about everything in secret, the less they thought of me the better. I ran drills alone I was at the training hall at odd times, if everything worked out no one would know a thing about me before I went into the games.

Cato was worked back into the training center after a day. We didn't speak. He quickly gravitated to the tributes from District 1 and 4, no doubt they would become this years careers. I didn't resent Cato, I still planned to keep him alive but, things had changed, and part of me was glad they did. During training I kept looking over my shoulder looking the tributes from District 12. Something about them seemed so pure. Cato radiated something strong and dark but they seemed so bright and warm. Even in the midsts of their last days they somehow stood strong, not defiant like so many others but strong with peace. I would catch myself staring at them for a few minutes before they caught sight of me and I was forced to run off.

Our last day of training everyone was emptying out of the room, even the game maker had left. I was about to leave when a training knife flew past my head and stuck into the wall. I turned to see a blonde girl twirling another knife in her fingers. "Topaz..." I said tired of dealing with the girl. She was one of districts 1's tributes and the newest arm candy for Cato. Ever since Cato joined in training she had been giving me a death glare but I always tried to ignore her. I didn't know how much she knew about mine and Cato's relationship, but from the start she was gunning for my death.

"Big day tomorrow." She said coming towards me. "The interviews, the carriage rides and the game makers evaluations." She giggled as she walked around me. "Be a shame if anything happened to you." She had started tracing her finger around my shoulder as she walked.

"I think I'll manage." I said still trying to leave. She seemed upset by my indifference.

"He hates you! Cato hates you, you know!" She said still trying to get in her digs. "He calls you the worst embarrassment to ever hit your district. Says your a pathetic weakling." I still didn't look at her, I would never give her the satisfaction. I left the room and walked down the hall as fast as I could. I didn't know if she was lying or telling the truth, but as I covered my face and hid my tears I knew I still cared.


	8. Chapter 8 Millennium

A relatively short chapter, but a big one none the less

Sen'eijashu

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 8

_-Cato's view-_

This was third and last meeting with Gale. I didn't like his idea but it seemed more solid than anything I could come up with. We went over it a few more times, making sure I knew what to do and when to do it. The whole thing seemed simple, but anything could go wrong and screw everything I was working for. I told him the second things started to fall through he would be dead, he just laughed and kept going on with his explanation. Son of a bitch never took anything I said seriously. He finally finished and we left. I hoped I would only have to see him one more time, and if things went according to plan, we would see each other again, right when we both died.

_-Errol's view-_

Talmud was in my room early, again too early. He was joined by Miss. Salome and my prep team, apparently today was the big presentations. The whole world would be watching us present ourselves and tomorrow we would die in the arena.

The whole thing never really did sound all that poetic.

Talmud went over my schedule reading quickly over a clipboard while my team cleaned and brought me to zero. While Talmud was speaking I couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. He had the tan skin common to the District 2 region but he wasn't done up in the typical Capitol fashion. I wondered why he never married, perhaps still too occupied with climbing the social ladder.

I was forced back to reality when Miss. Salome had her team attack my eyebrows. _"You have a lovely face, but hidden under bushman eyebrows."_ Miss. Salome's world ran in my head with each hair they plucked. They took their time crafting me into a marvel of the Tributes. They trimmed my hair, polished my skin and finally backed away after about an hour. "Oh my..." Talmud said finally finished with his list. I was led to the mirror and looked at myself. I looked nothing like the old me. This person in the mirror was tall, strong, and masculine. All words I had never associated with myself. Miss. Salome disappeared while Talmud and I talked. Talmud was being kept in the dark about what had been happening to Cato and he wanted some answers. I didn't feel like Talmud deserved to know anything, but seeing him so desperate and confused I couldn't help but tell him something, but thinking about it now, I may have told him too much.

Talmud ran out of the room screaming into his notepad while Miss. Salome entered with Miss. Aphelandra. They looked at me and frowned,

"You told him?" Miss. Aphelandra asked. I nodded and they both let out a sigh, partly relieved and partly stressed, knowing they would have to explain everything to him later.

"Have you spoken to Cato lately?" Asked sitting back down.

"We just came from dressing him. He was less than obliging about our choice of outfit." Miss. Aphelandra said lighting another cigarette, only to be snuffed out by Miss. Salome. "No smoke near the costumes." Miss. Salome said annoyed.

I finally noticed that Miss. Salome had come in carrying a large white garment bag. "Is that...mine?" I asked from my styling chair.

"Sure is, took the seven of us days to come up with it," Miss. Salome said smiling. _"Seven?" _I wondered to myself, but as Miss. Salome unzipped the bag my eyes widened and I couldn't stop my smile from crossing my face.

"Oh Miss. Salome..." I said still beaming. It was a long sleeved, high collared white robe with beautiful black pinstripes coming down all around it. Beneath it there was a dark body suit. The suit had long white marking all down the sleeves and leggings making it look we were draped in white flames. To most it would probably look to simple, but it showed a power that was invisible to the word, a strength people would only realize in the last moments of their lives.

"Can you tell what we were going for?" Miss. Salome said wile dressing me. I looked at the outfit after she finished putting it one me. I looked it over and turned a few times to see the whole thing.

"A snake." I said still looking at myself.

Everyone in the room gave approving smiles, except for Talmud, who had returned earlier, he was absolutely giddy with excitement. I could never express all my gratitude to Miss. Salome and Miss. Aphelandra, even to Talmud. They had lined everything up for me, and now it was my turn to make a move.

Eventually all the tributes were escorted to a large platform, all of out horses were stationed before our carriages. We were all dressed in out costumes and ready for the parade, but my mind was other places. I knew this would be the first time Cato and I would have been together in the last few weeks, but it still felt so strange.

I was led to the carriage where two beautiful white horses were tired up to golden chariots. "Careful with them. They don't like people too much." The handler said with a raspy voice. I walked towards the horses and like the trainer had said, they reared up on their legs and started crying. The handler immediately grabbed for their reins but was forced to the ground after the horse nearly kicked him. _"Damn it heel!"_ The trainer said trying to control the horses. For some reason time seemed to slow down and the horses looked so slow to me. Their hooves, which could kick a man to death, were moving so slowly. I dodged one so easily and jumped up to the horses faces. I looked in their eyes and could see fear and uncertainty. I put my hand flat to their forehead and gently guided them to the ground. The horses immediately started to calm down and eventually let me pet them. I stroked their soft fur and listened to them breath. I was so caught up in the horses I hardly noticed the other tributes starting slack jawed at me. I turned, feeling their eyes on me and quickly stopped. I didn't want to stick out, not yet. Everyone stopped looking at me when Cato strolled onto the platform wearing a golden version of my outfit. He came up next to me and stood next the carriage, not saying a word.

Not that I said anything to him either.

Cato and I mounted our carriage behind Topaz and another brunet that could easily pass for her sister. Topaz turned and blew a kiss to Cato, Cato winked back at her. Maybe it was because I had become so jilted but I couldn't help but roll my eyes. _"Ugg."_ I groaned, tired of the two of them. Cato shot me a nasty look, but I remained silent. He started to speak but the large door at the front of the platform opened and the horses started moving. The crowd immediately started cheering. I could see Topaz and her partner waving and smiling, blowing kisses and playing it up for the audience. Cato did the same waving and putting on his best smile. I had another idea.

Mss. Salome had told me of a special switch located at the crest of my suite. She told me using it was at my discretion but after seeing its effects I knew it was perfect. I pressed the switch and immediately felt the effects, it was only good for one use so I know I had to get it right. My skin tingled as the suit put an invisible layer of skin over mine, my skin appeared glossy and wavy. People began to notice and the cameras panned on my carriage. The false layer of skin began to dry and crack, as the skin began to degrade a pattern of scales became more and more visible. My feature became blurred as my entire face became covered in a leathery scaly version of my old skin. The cameras were buzzing around me looking intently, still trying to figure out what happened to my face. At once a large crack appeared over my face, eventually more and more cracks appeared and I tilted my head back as it did.

Little by little the skin began falling off like petals in the breeze, my face was shedding its skin becoming new again. The last of the scales flew away and I stood with my head still back, eyes closed. I could feel all of Panem looking at me when I opened my eyes. The audience cheered in shock and Cato was taken back. My eyes had changed, they were slitted like a snakes, green with brown all around them. They were just contacts but they did their job. The cameras zoomed in tight to my face seeing where my transformation had taken place. My face was glowing from the skin mask and my eyes were piercing every corner of the world. The other tributes stopped waving, all of them were looking at the screens, looking at me.

I was a snake, I had shed my skin, I had shed my past and weakness and I was ready to strike down anyone or anything.


	9. Chapter 9 The Boy of Birds and Snakes

Regrets collect like old friends.

Another shorty, but the next one will be longer

I promise.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 9

_-Errol's view-_

At the end of the parade route the carriages came to the presidential square, we circled the plaza a few more times for the audience. All the tributes were still waving and cheering, trying their hardest to win over the crowd, but the audience was already mine. The people were chanting my name over and over, the screens refused to show anyone's picture but mine, and they replayed my skin shedding dozens of time.

The idea of a snake seemed, at best, shaky. However, in Panem the snake was something to be revered. Decades ago, during the time of the Dark Days the country was thrown into chaos. Not only lives were lost but the entire country was on the verge of destruction. The land had been torn apart by the war and life was almost snuffed out. Forests were burned, valleys were flooded and rivers were made toxic by the runoff of war machines and human decomposition. Many of the native species died off due to the wars and after the Dark Days had ended, many feared they would never return, and unfortunately one didn't, the snake. For whatever reason the snakes were never able to live on the land, even after the land had been reconstituted. Several genetic scientists had attempted to clone the snake and make it more robust, better able to survive the new lands, but to no success. It was as if the snakes had given up on living in Panem. Some say the snakes left the country all together and still live somewhere on the other side of the great sea.

To Panem they represented a failure, a failure for both sides. A failure to protect the simplest of life from their needless lust for power. Miss. Salome had wanted me to be the snake, a creature innocent of war and greed, seeking only to survive, but still caught up in the hate of revenge. For the first time in the snakes existence it was a symbol of innocence and peace, and I was chosen to represent that symbol again.

After the carriage rides Cato and I were quickly escorted into a large waiting area were we would be prepared for our interviews. I wondered how Miss. Salome would possibly top her last costume but doubting her was never a good idea. The tributes were given a few minutes to relax before the interviews, a chance to get to know each other better I guess. I however, went straight to the bathroom trying to get my contacts out which were starting to sting my eyes. I spent over ten minutes trying to get them out when the bathroom door opened and a young man walked in.

I recognized him as the District 10 tribute. He was average height with circular glasses and long brown hair kept in a ponytail. He was still in costume and was holding a white mask in his left hand. I inwardly admitted how handsome he was and quickly got up from the sink where I had been kneeling and looked at him. He smirked and pointed to my left eye, the one that still had the snake contact.

"Oh yeah...these things are super hard to take out." I said rubbing my still stinging eye. He didn't say anything but came close and suddenly reached his hand out. I tried to back away but I felt a quick pressure on my eye and he moved his hand back. **"What was that?"** I asked clutching my face. I suddenly noticed my eye didn't hurt anymore and looked in the mirror.

My contact was gone and I found it in the hand of the district 10 boy. He placed it carefully on the sink and left without another word, but not before shooting me another smile. _"How...?"_ I wondered to myself, I hardly felt anything but this boy managed to snatch a lens off my eye in a flash. _"District 10...livestock?"_ I wondered how a career in livestock made this boy capable of such a feat but had to forget it when I realized I was late to my fitting.

I was walking back, more like running trying to get to my room before Miss. Salome had to come looking for me, but I didn't get far. Cato appeared from absolutely nowhere and pulled me back behind a wall. The second I knew it was him I started kicking and thrashing like a trapped animal. This only seemed to annoy Cato as he finally got tired of dealing with my thrashing and pinned me to the wall. He pulled my arms behind my back and I finally stopped my squirming. I waited for him to do something, snap my arms, break my back, say something terrible to me but we just stood there. I couldn't move but everything inside of me was trying to escape, I didn't want to be near Cato, not now. I didn't want to hear his reasons, his excuses, apologies or justifications, and I definitely didn't need to be reminded of how good he smelled. I then realized just how long it had been since Cato and I had been so close to each other and how much I really missed him.

"Cato." I started.

"Shut up." He said quickly silencing me. "Just...just let me talk." His tone seemed less harsh but also frustrated and confused. "I'm sorry. I...I just can't." I could feel his trembling through his hands, but I kept quite.

"I can live without you. I can go on after you're dead." He said chuckling.

"So please tell me why, why cant I stop crying at the thought of you dead?" His grip loosened and I turned to look at him. I touched his soft face and wiped a tear away with my thumb.

"Cato...Cato look at me." I said looking into his eyes and he finally looked at me. I could see so much of his pain and I felt so guilty about hurting him. I had never thought about what it meant to Cato, my life. I always thought he was so strong and powerful. I thought I never had to worry about a single thing tearing him down, but there it was in front of me, a crying Cato, crying for me.

"Cato I love you." I said with a strong resolve. Cato looked at me and seemed shaken by my words. "I want you to do something for me okay?" I asked still looking him in the eye. He nodded and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"I want you to go on. Go on and live. Meet a nice girl or nice guy." I said laughing, my vision somehow getting blurry. "Fall in love, and be happy. Tell this person you love them everyday and have children with horrible tempers like you." My voice was breaking but I knew I had to finish.

"You are my champion. You are the bird who flies over the snake, boundless and free." The two of us were crying like children. Between my sniffling and his red eyes we must have looked a sight.

"You are so strong Cato, and so kind. I know you'll be happy with someone who will always make you happy." I straitened and kissed him on the cheek, then let him go.

"I have to leave Cato, and so do you. Its a _big, big_ day." I said turning to leave. Before I could leave I felt Cato grab my hand and squeeze it tight.

"I'm sorry Errol. If I had the chance I would never take any of it back." He said letting go of my hand.

There was so much more I wanted to tell him, but nothing more that needed to be said.

My fitting went quickly. Miss. Salome chose a fitted white and grey suit, contented to make me into the white snake I was supposed to be. She didn't ask about my lateness or my tear stained face, she had probably already heard everything from Miss. Sandersonia. I was grateful my interview would be third, I just wanted to have this day over with quickly.

Even though tomorrow would be much, much worse.


	10. Chapter 10 He who comes Home

And tomorrow...the Games truly begin.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 10

_-Errol's view-_

Topaz was first for the interviews. She was dressed in some tacky ballerina number that made her legs look too fat and her chest small like a prepubescent boys. Okay...admittedly she probably looked alright at best, but I couldn't see past her smug attitude and shameless lust over Cato. I never thought of myself as a bitter person but there it was, in the form of some girl who thought she could take Cato from me. She finished her interview quickly and was continued by the second District 1 girl. The guard stood next to me listening on his headset for my turn on the stage. The audience applauded for the second girl and Caesar Flickerman turned to the crowd silencing them.

"_**Please welcome the first of the District 2 tributes. The boy who shocked the world as a snake shedding his skin, Errol Sinclair!"**_ The audience started cheering and the screens behind Caesar lit up with my carriage ride transformation. My snake eye contacts had been put back in and Miss. Salome had added a black bar coming off the corners of both my eyes, more snake like I guess. I was astounded how she chose to present me. A normal boy, in a normal suit but with eyes of a snake, a small but poignant transformation.

Caesar took my hand and led me to the stage, the crowd still cheering like mad.

Luckily the interview went quickly. He asked about the inspiration for the snake, what the transformation felt like and a few more personal questions. Near the end of the interview Caesar looked more serious and scooted closer to me. "One last question, because I feel we are so close." He said laughing, the crowd joined in after I chuckled.

"Of course, since were such good friends." I said with a smile.

"Is there anyone special in your life?" He asked with one eyebrow arched. There was a moment of silence as I thought. I looked into my lap, pretending to think, but I already knew what I wanted to say.

"Well, its...complicated." I said still looking down.

"Isn't it always?" Caesar said smiling like a fox. I looked up at him then out to the audience.

"There was someone...a boy back home." I said, looking into the cameras and telling the world. I could hear the audiences shock and whispers. Caesar put up and hand and calmed the crowd.

"A boy? Were you two close?" Caesar asked still trying to quite the audience. He didn't react to the most obvious part of my response, and I was grateful the didn't.

"We were friendly, I guess. It was one of those crushes, you know?" Caesar nodded as I continued. "I was just a kid when I first saw him. It was like..." I paused for a moment, making sure everyone heard my next line. "It was like the sun had come up. Like everything about this person was so warm and bright." I could hear the audience _swoon_ and _aww_ as I finished. Caesar was smiling and nodding his head.

"Thats lovely my friend. Absolutely lovely. Do you want to say anything to him now?" He asked waving to the cameras. I smiled and looked down again.

"No, theres nothing that needs to be said now." I looked up and smiled at Caesar, wiping away a single tear. The crowd cheered for my admission of affection and Caesar offered me his handkerchief.

"_**Ladies and Gentlemen! Errol Sinclair the Boy of Snakes!"**_ Caesar took my hand and we rose form our seats.

"_The Boy of Snakes?"_ I wondered to myself. I hadn't planned on a title but I accepted it was graciously as I could. Caesar and I bowed for the audience before I was escorted off stage to Talmud.

"Oh _Errol, Errol, Errol_! That was fabulous!" Talmud said hugging me around my neck. "Oh look at you, those pretty snake eyes look all the more striking when there are tears in them." He finally let go and went back to he monitor to watch Cato's interview.

"I'm just going to head back Talmud. I'll see you after the evaluations." I said trying to leave.

"You're not going to watch?" He asked somewhat surprised. "Even after...all that's happened?" I looked back at him, wishing he hadn't said that.

"No, there's no reason to watch right now." I turned away and left the studio as fast as I could. Its not that I didn't want to hear Cato's interview, its just that I knew what he was going to say. He had said it before, to his parent, to his friends, and to anyone who he had ever known.

Back at the tributes building I was cleaned of my makeup, removed of my contacts and put back into my training clothes. I noticed that in the last few days I had been able to put on a bit of muscle, my arms were large and my frame was no longer lanky and thin, but fit and strong. I had to give all thanks to Miss. Aphelandra. I was not the messenger of District 2, I was the Boy of Snakes, and more than ever I finally felt ready for tomorrow.

I was the first to the training center followed by the girls of District 1, Cato then rest. Cato and I were placed in a room by ourselves to wait for our turn, it still felt odd, and it was odd that it felt...odd. We had known each other for over 10 years but in the course of less than a week we had become complete strangers. I didn't want to cuddle up to him and hold his hand, all the admiration and affection I had for Cato had been taken from me, but part of me wondered if it had ever been there. All the words had been said, there was no more time for tears and kisses, now was the time for survival and action.

"How did I do?" He asked, probably talking about his interview. I leaned my head back against the wall.

"Perfect." I said closing my eyes. Cato chuckled at my response.

"Liar." He said still chuckling. I opened my eyes and looked at him confused.

"_**Errol Sinclair."**_ A loud sensitized voice rang out and alerted me to my turn. I got up but didn't want to leave. "Go, we'll talk later I guess." He said waving me off. I nodded and left through the large metal doors.

The training room was empty and the last of the cleanup crew was leaving. I walked into the center of the room still thinking about what I was going to do. It was something I should have planned a while back but it never really occurred to me how important this was. I surveyed the room slowly seeing racks of spears, knives, swords, bows and arrows and even paints. Everything we had trained with over the last few days was laid out in a circle around me, it was only a matter of choosing how to use it. "You may begin. ." I looked up and saw the head game maker speaking to me from the observation platform. I nodded and went to the center of the room. I stood for a moment, looking at everything around me, and it finally hit me. _"Well, I am a snake,"_ I whispered to myself. I went over to the spear rack and grabbed as many as I could.

I walked around the room mapping out everything as I walked, jabbing a spear into the floor every so often. I wasn't timed so I made sure to take it slow and make everything perfect. It took me about 10 minutes to plant every spear in the precise location. Some were in the ground, some were on the pillars and a few were sticking out of the roof, seemingly in random places.

"Anytime ." The game makers warned. I went back to the center of the room and stood quietly. I closed my eyes and let my body take control, I knew where to go and all I had to do was let my instincts take me there.

_-Cato's view-_

He was taking an awfully long time. I never did ask Errol what he was going to do for his evaluation, it seemed wrong to ask. Aphelandra and I had made a simple plan of me showing off my sword skills on some test dummies, but I wondered what Errol could do. Maybe he would wow them with his agility, that seemed like his greatest strength. After what seemed like 30 minutes the doors opened and Errol walked out completely out of breath. I ran up to him and saw how tired he really was. His breathing was hard, his muscles were tense and he was sweating like a pig. "What...are you okay?" I asked helping him to his seat.

"_**Cato Eucliff."**_ The computers voice called forcing me to go. I looked back at him still trying to see if he was okay.

"Go, we'll talk later I guess." He mimicked me from earlier, and I left. Knowing we would probably never speak again.

-Errol's view-

We had all gathered in my apartment for breakfast. Myself, Talmud, Miss. Aphelandra, Miss. Salome, Cato, and his stylist Miss. Sandersonia. We all ate, some talking, some too stuffed with food to speak and others were too preoccupied to eat at all. We were all waiting on the results of our evaluations and after we had finished eating we gathered around the television to watch. Caesar Flickerman was already on the screen preparing to announce the scores.

"_We had some incredible tributes this time and the scores are promising to be way up, up from last years!"_ He said with a smile, flashing his plastic looking teeth. He began and started with Topaz, who scored a high 9. Her friend scored a 7 and Cato came up scoring a 10.

"Oh Cato that's fabulous!" Talmud said patting him on the back. Cato put on a smug grin and it reminded me of his old self, so full of pride and confidence.

"Hush they're announcing Errol's score!" Miss. Salome said trying to get to pay attention.

"_Errol Sinclair of District 2, with a score of..."_ Caesar said unfolding the card with my score. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped and looked at the card intently for a few moments._ "Um, Errol Sinclair...With a score of 12."_

We all became silent, deathly so. I looked over at Cato and he looked back at me. In that moment I saw not sadness, not anger or fear, just a blankness, like what had just happened wasn't real for him. Cato quickly got up and left with Talmud and Miss. Sandersonia following quickly behind. "Good work Errol. That's very good work." Miss. Aphelandra said getting up.

The rest happened in a flash. A sleepless night, to afraid to close my eyes. A tasteless breakfast and a pre-battle talk with Miss. Aphelandra. She made sure to tell me everything three times over before the peacekeepers took me and Cato from the tributes building. We were taken to a large hanger where we were split into two groups. My group was the first to board our hovercraft and launch for the arena. As we flew I looked at all the tributes getting ready to die. Most were silent, knowing too well that there was no longer a point to talking. A few were crying, but it sounded more like sniffling. I looked back at the end of the craft and saw one tribute doing none of the three. It was the boy from District 10, the one who had taken out my contact earlier. He was in his chair, eyes closed, with his hands in front of his head, whispering to himself.

He was praying.

I didn't know what god he was praying to, or even what he was praying for, but in those silent moments in the craft I closed my eyes and said a prayer to whatever god would hear me.

"_May the road rise up to meet us._

_May the wind be always at our back._

_May the sun shine warm upon our face;_

_the rains fall soft upon our fields _

_and until we meet again, _

_may God hold us in the palm of His hand."_


	11. Chapter 11 Prayer of Predators

Lets us pray.

A Cato's view heavy story.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 11

_-Cato's view-_

My group launched shorty after Errol's. The 12 of us were like cattle in a barn. All herded together for slaughter. Topaz sat across from me talking but I wasn't really paying attention to her. I didn't really like her but I didn't hate her, I just never minded her one way or the other, but she sometimes got clingy and that did get annoying fast. No matter how much I minded her I knew she had to be kept alive, for now. It was the alliance we had made between the careers, plus with her score of 9 on the evaluations I knew she would be trouble if I ever decided to take her on myself. Then there was the two boys from district 4. They had both scored high on the evaluations and they would be protecting Topaz and her partner as well. I looked down the ship and saw Gale sitting quietly. I knew he would be a bigger problem than all the others combined, even if he did stick to the plan. He had made a score of 11 on his evaluation, second only to Errol himself. I also knew Gale would be fighting to protect his partner, some kid named Peeta, but he was part of the deal too so I couldn't off him either.

We eventually landed and were taken out one by one. Each of us had two guards, it seemed excessive but I guess this is where tributes got the most desperate to escape. I was led to a room where Sandersonia was waiting.

"Hello my dear." She said giving me a hug. Normally I would have pushed her away but this seemed...different. Sandersonia and I had become close in the last few days, and hugging her didn't feel weird, it just felt warm. She pulled out a box and laid my clothes on the table next to us.

"I hope this keeps you safe." She said touching the clothes softly. I changed and she took a few more seconds fixing me up. She reached into the box again and pulled out a scarf. It was Errol's. "and I hope this keeps you warm." She reached it out to me but I refused to take it.

"Just take it. He'll be expecting you to wear it." I just kept staring at it and remembering everything it represented.

"I can't" I said still refusing the scarf. She walked up to me and put the scarf behind my neck and tucked the sides down my jacket. It looked less like a scarf and more like a high collar but I knew it looked good.

"Then give it back to him while you're out there." She said making sure I was ready.

"**15 Seconds!"** The intercom let us know it was time to depart.

"Good luck." She said touching the side of my face and kissing my cheek. I smiled at her knowing she actually meant it. We separated and I went inside the launch tube.

"**5 Seconds!" **I waved goodbye to her as my pod jerked upwards and slowly rose. I looked down and saw her standing in front of my tube with her hands on the glass, watching as I disappeared. The tube seemed to go up forever, but slowly a light at the end got bigger and bigger. Soon the light over took everything and I could feel the air on my face. I opened my eyes and saw a large field surrounded by an even large forest. All the tributes were in a half circle surrounding a large golden cone located over 50 feet from any of us. My eyes darted around seeing Topaz a few platforms down from me and Errol at the very end of the line furthest from the cone. He wasn't looking at me but was already preparing to run. Gale was opposite from Errol but didn't seemed interesting in anything but his partner Peeta, who was three platforms from my left. Errol finally looked towards me and seemed surprised when he saw his scarf around my neck. He didn't have long to look as a large golden counter appeared at the mouth of the cone with 30 seconds counting down. All the tributes fixed their eyes towards the counter.

"_Pick off the small fry and keep 1, 4 and 12 alive. Errol can take care of himself. Just have to make sure he doesn't get caught up in the bloodbath." _I thought as the timer ticked down to 20 seconds, keeping in mind their was one thing I had to do before anything else. Ten-seconds clicked down and a computerized voice started the final countdown.

"_**Nine...eight...seven...six...five."**_

I looked over at Errol one last time and saw him closing his eyes.

"_What is he doing?"_ I thought, wishing I could tell him to pay attention.

"_**Four...three...two..."**_

Errol straightened and out both of his arms into the air.

"_**One..."**_

I kept looking at Errol wondering what he planned to do, forgetting the timer.

"_**Zero!"**_

Before the siren ever blared Errol flipped backwards and jumped off his platform. His extended arms caught the ground and he flipped again, he kelp flipping and headed for what seemed like the forest at the end of the field. It must have been part of his plan because for half a moment everyone was transfixed by the flipping snake boy who was quickly leaving the bloodbath scene. I didn't hesitate for a second because as soon as Errol was off his platform I ran for the mouth of the horn and got my weapon.

I picked up and bag and threw it at Topaz who was following closely behind. It was a set of knives and Topaz used them quickly, taking out two tributes before they had ever moved off their platforms. The two boys from 4 came up one my side and recovered their weapons, a spear and a long curved knife. They quickly went out into the field trying to get more tributes when I finally saw what I was looking for. It was a small blue colored bag that clipped on the side of the waist and upper leg. It was perfect, I grabbed it and ran for the edge of the field. I caught sight of Errol just before he disappeared in the trees and threw the bag at him as hard as I could. The bag hit him on the side of the head as he came up from his last flip. He fell to the ground with the bag landing next to him. I wanted to make sure he was okay but I had to defend myself from a gutsy tribute who tried to get the drop on me. I ran back to the cone and helped my team pick off the last of the straggling tributes.

I ran my sword straight through the gutsy tributes chest, and a feeling of incredible satisfaction overpowered me. All my training had finally flooded back into me, like my old self had finally come home. To see that nameless tribute writhing on the ground before his twitching gave way to stillness made me feel powerful, so fucking powerful. The elation of the kill is something that is inside me, and will always be inside me. I'm a killer and a good one. To Errol I may have been...kinder, but these nameless fucks are just sheep for the slaughter, and I have no regrets or doubts about killing them. My team blew thought the last of them in minutes. I looked around the field and counted the total number of bodies.

"_10."_ I thought to myself, not a bad number and none of the dead were Errol or Gale. We had taken Peeta as a straggler. He claimed he would lead us to Gale, and my partners jumped at the chance to see him dead.

After we had secured the supplies we left Peeta back at came and headed out into the forest. Intent of weeding out the other hiding rats that called themselves tributes.


	12. Chapter 12 Nine Snakes

Another Cato's view heavy story.

But with some introduction about my favorite silent killer.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 12

_-Errol's view-_

Just as I was flipping upward something hit me in the head and I came down hard. Luckily my skull didn't hit first but my arms were going to be sore later as I landed on top of them. I got up as quickly as I could and saw a blue bag a few inches away from me. I tired to see where the bag had come from but all I saw was someone running away from the woods with their back to me. When I saw his broad shoulders and the head of bright blonde hair I knew it was Cato, guess he was still trying to protect me. I picked up the bag and knew it was from him. It was light and able to be attached securely on the side of my waist and upper leg. He knew I would still be able to move as quickly as before but now I had some supplies. After I attached the bag I started running into the forest. I had stopped flipping and relied on pure speed to get me as far away from the horn as possible. I knew I was getting far quickly because the sounds of swords crashing, kids screaming and cannons firing started to disappear.

I had been running for over an hour, abet at a slower pace then before, when I heard a loud scream coming from my left. I looked out to the clearing a few yards from where I had stopped, just listening, it wasn't a scream of fear or death but one of sadness and rage.

Out of the clearing a young man came running towards me, bloodied and carrying a large serrated blade. I froze, shocked at the sight of him. He must have just escaped the bloodbath and his injuries had driven him to madness. I turned and ran as fast as I could away from him, but I had started to slow. I had been running for too long and I was getting too exhausted to out run him, but he just kept charging. He had no idea what was going on around him, or how much agony his body must have been in. I kept my back to him and tried to block out the sound of his horrible screaming. I could hear his voice getting louder and closer, but I didn't know if he was getting faster or if I was getting slower. Just as he got close enough to swing his blade at my back a loud thud rang out from the trees and the boy became silent.

I turned and saw the boy on the ground, dead, his throat slitted and his blood staining the leaves of the forest floor. Above him the boy of district 10 stood, the one who I had met earlier at the interviews and the one who was praying on the hovercraft. He was standing silently with something shining in his hand covered with blood. I looked at him stunned, but mostly terrified. Where did he come from? How did he sneak up on us so quietly and most importantly, was I next? He looked over at me and smiled like he had when we first met. Then like a monkey in the jungle he jumped higher than I ever could and vanished into the tree tops.

I went over to the body and saw the district 10 boys handiwork. It was a perfect cut along the jugular, the boy died in seconds, quick and painless. What astounded me more than anything was the preciseness of the cut, to do such a thing to a violent and injured boy was astounding. Eventually I had to look away from the boys body, so I rolled him on his back and took off his jacket. I folded it over his neck and closed his eyes.

I didn't know this boy in any way, but no matter who he was he was a tribute for the Hunger Games, and that in and of itself granted him some sort of burial.

I left him quickly but my thoughts kept wondering back to the district 10 boy, "_Kuja_." I thought to myself. I had heard the name years ago on my delivery route, it reeked of this boys work and it seemed to fit him so perfectly. _"Why didn't he kill me?" _My mind kept playing it over and over. It would have been so simple for him to get rid of me. I was tired and weak but all he did was laugh at me and run away. The thought made my skin crawl. Now there was a stronger player in the games.

Kuja. The killer of District 10.

_-Cato's view- _

It had finally gotten too late to hunt so I made the pack make camp for the night. The Pack, that's what we were calling ourselves, one of the boys from district 4 had came up with it and we all agreed. In the last few hours we had managed to pick off five more tributes and make camp in two more areas. I knew spreading ourselves out may have been risky but no one would be so rash or stupid to attack us, especially when I was sure to have us traveling in pairs at all times. My camp was made up of myself, Topaz, and Peeta the other boy from District 12. All of us would meet up tomorrow morning to being hunting again.

Throughout the night I kept looking over at Peeta. I didn't know how much he knew about Gale's plan but him joining us was not part of it. He was leading us to Gale at every fucking turn and I knew I couldn't kill him. If I did Gale would have no reason to keep Errol alive. Our plan was always rocky at best, but everything hinged on all four of us staying alive, and this kid Peeta was about to destroy everything and for what? His own life? He sickened me but he had to be kept alive, for now. I tried to put it out of my mind and sleep. Topaz had crawled in next to me and snuggled into my chest. I knew I should have pushed her away but I didn't have the energy. I just pulled up Errol's scarf and inhaled his scent, trying to picture the girl next to me as a dark haired messenger boy. Before I was able to close my eyes the sky lit up with he Capitol seal and the anthem blared out over the arena. All the names and faces of the dead tributes lit the sky counting them down in numerical order. I finally relaxed when Errol and Gale's faces didn't appear and the screen vanished back into he sky.

"_Humph_! Looks like that snake freak from 2 is still alive. We'll fix that tomorrow right?" I heard Topaz saying from my chest. I didn't respond, knowing if I did I would probably break her neck in anger. So I just nodded to her and closed my eyes still trying to get some sleep.

The next morning went quickly. Got up had breakfast and met up with the other group from the horn. "Today we go after that snake freak right?" The boy from district 4 said.

"Of course! Cato has probably thought up some merciless plan to draw him out, right baby?" Topaz said clinging to my arm.

"Ha, that snake fucker wont live to see the night." I said holding up my sword. The others joined in my celebration and we took off into the woods. I stayed at the front keeping an eye out for anyone. If I kept at the front I would see Errol first and hopefully be able to warn him to get away. We walked for about twenty minutes when Peeta stopped the group.

"Wait, wait! Listen! You hear that?" He said silencing us.

We all became silent and looked at Peeta. He pointed his finger upwards at the trees, but kept his hand hidden. I looked upwards slowly and saw something dark in the trees. Before I could see who or what it was three knives flew into the tree tops from Topaz. The figure dodged them and started running off deeper into the woods. As it ran I saw its dark hair and tan skin, it was Errol. Topaz kept throwing knives at him before I finally stopped her. I looked in the tress and smiled.

"Don't waste your knives babe. You wont kill a snake like that. You have to take off its head, remember?" I said still smirking. She smiled back at me and winked.

"Who better for the job?" She said gesturing to the sword I had strapped on my back. I may have kept my grin on the outside but inside I was furious. Furious at Peeta for exposing Errol and furious at Errol at following us. Why the hell did he follow us, and why did Peeta opening his fucking mouth? Now Errol was in danger of being killed and I would have to be the person to do it. We tracked him for a few more minutes when we spotted him flying though the treetops again.

"**Sorry sweetheart! I just have to take this for myself!"** Topaz yelled, suddenly running in front of us and following Errol into the woods. Still laughing like a maniac and tossing knives into the trees.

I couldn't help it. It really just slipped out. When I saw Topaz disappear from sight, still trying to kill Errol I couldn't stop the words from coming out. It was everything inside me that cared about Errol, still trying to save him.

"_**ERROL!" **_I screamed.

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For those who were wondering the names I chose for the characters were inspired from various places in religion, art and nature.

**Errol**- An old English name meaning, _"nobleman, warrior or prince."_

**Talmud**- A central text of mainstream Judaism pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history.

**Aphelandra**- A genus of about 170 species of flowering plants in the family _Acanthaceae_, native to tropical regions of the Americas.

**Sandersonia**- A plant genus native to South Africa of the family _Colchicaceae_. It has only one species, _Sandersonia aurantiaca._

**Salome**_- _Daughter of _Herodias, _depicted in the bible as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness, for instance depicting as erotic her dance mentioned in the New Testament, or concentrate on her lighthearted and cold foolishness that, according to the gospels, led to John the Baptist's death.

**Kuja**- A Hindi name meaning,_ "Born of the Earth." _Also Japanese for, _"Nine Snakes."_

**Topaz**- A shiny ugly rock.


	13. Chapter 13 The Baby and the Serpent

We all get to meet my new favorite character

And get to meet **Mako**...whoever that is

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 13

_-Errol's view-_

Topaz may have been a lot of things, evil, manipulative, tasteless and crude, but she was not a bad shot. My face had three scratches from where I had just dodged her throwing knives, they weren't deep cuts but I knew her aim was getting better.

_-Earlier-_

I had decided to climb into the tree tops after my run in with Kuja. It seemed to make sense, better hiding places, and better visibility, plus I wanted to be ready for him if he ever decided to come after me. I was headed east from my original position, hoping I could get around Cato's group and avoid Kuja. I knew their were others to be wary off but my goal was the horn. My bag only had a few measly supplies and I needed to get something more substantial before I died of hunger or thirst. Getting around the forest canopy proved much faster than walking around on the floor. It was like jumping from post to post. Climbing large branched and swinging off from vines brought me back to my old messenger days.

I spent the night in the trees and ate the last of my food. A piece of dried beef and some dry crackers. I knew eating them would only make me thirsty but my stomach overruled my head and I ate all that was left.

When I woke up I headed out still sticking to the trees. Now I was never trying to find Cato, in fact I was avoiding him, but I guess we had a way of always finding our way back to each other. It must have been deep in the eastern forest when I spotted them. Their were six of them, Cato, the boys from District 4, the girls from District 1 and...Peeta? It was Gales partner from District 12. What was he doing with Cato's group? I didn't know what Peeta's relationship to Gale was but they were apparently not too close. Peeta had probably teamed up with Cato's group to keep himself alive longer. I didn't want to judge him though, when a person sees death coming at them, they can make some difficult decisions.

I kept quite and slowly came towards them, making sure to avoid any spots in the trees that were too bare. I followed them for about ten minutes, hanging back a few feet to stay hidden. All at once they were stopped by Peeta and he forced them to be quite.

"_What?"_ Was the last thing I thought before Cato looked up at me and caught my eye. I tried to move back but before I could even process what happened several knives flew into the trees. I dogged the first two but the last scraped my cheek. I immediately started running forward as quickly as I could. Knives still flying thought the air every few seconds. Apparently Topaz had broken from the pack and was chasing me down on her own accord. I just kept running trying to escape this insane girl who wanted my head on a stick. She chased me for what seemed like hours before I finally lost her. I knew she would head back eventually, it was getting dark and she had wondered too far from the group. It was getting more difficult to run in the trees and my vision had become hazy, but when I wiped my face I only saw the blood dripping from a cut above my brow. I climbed as high as I could on the largest tree I could find and rested. I kept thinking back to what had happened. I didn't know if I imagined it or just misheard but I could have sword I heard someone call my name when I found Cato's group. I just prayed it wasn't Cato. If he had slipped and called out my name it could mean his death, everything we were working for would have been gone.

"_Please do not call me Cato."_ I whispered to myself. It was getting late and I was getting tired, so I decided to close my eyes for a few hours and look for the horn tomorrow.

I was dreaming of something odd that night. Cato and I were back in District 2, but it wasn't like before. Cato was different. He seemed taller, if that was possible, and he had a slight scuffle on his face. His shoulders seemed stronger and his hair had gotten a bit longer. He was standing next to me as we walked thought the middle of town. He was talking but I couldn't hear him and he was smiling, a smile I had never seen before. He seemed so different, yet it was the Cato I had always known, looking right at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his.

I felt something holding my hand and I looked down. It wasn't Cato holding it but a little...thing. This little thing was holding my hand and Cato's as we walked. It was no higher than my legs and it had tan skin with a head of bright blonde hair. It looked up at me and I was looking into big dark green eyes with flecks of...blue in them. It was a boy. A perfect mishmash of Cato and I in a little package.

Slowly something outside my dream kept annoying me. It sounded like a quite scraping sound, like pistons grinding together. The sound kept coming louder and it seemed like it was getting closer. I finally opened my eyes and tried to listen. The noise would pop up for a second than another noise, identical to the last, would take its place. I put my ear to the tree trunk and tried to listen, it was getting closer. _"What on Earth?" _I thought, but I was suddenly knocked back from the tree when a large metal container appeared from the ground below me and release what looked like long white bars. I looked at them, still trying to figure out what they were. They suddenly started growing becoming longer and wider. They began to twist and move. Then It finally hit me, those long white moving bars were snakes.

"_Muttations?"_ I thought to myself. **"Finally!**" I said, excited to know things were finally going my way. I guessed the game makers wanted to put my nickname to the test, and I'm glad they did. I quickly got up and started moving away from the snakes.

Now the Capitol never releases a normal dangerous animal into the arena, they always have to make their alterations before their fit for battle. These snakes were no exception. They were extremely large for snakes, probably about 20 feet long with dark red marking around their eyes and bodies white as snow. They were following me extremely quickly and I knew their senses had been heightened. They divided up and started crawling all around the forest. Large bands of white were covering the area and I knew those metal sounds I was hearing were more snakes being released. The snakes moved faster than any snake I had red about and were tracking me like hounds. I had to separate one and make sure it followed me over water. A snake couldn't see so well in darkness and if I was able to erase my sent over water I could easily get one snake alone. They eventually chased me to a ravine over a large river. I climbed down and crossed the river making sure one snake followed me. It seemed to be one of the smaller snakes but definitely the fastest. It followed me into the forest where I vanished into the tree tops.

I heard a loud screaming, a girl screaming, and knew another tribute had been caught by the snakes. I felt bad but with the other snakes chasing other prey the one I had alone couldn't call for help. The snake slithered beneath my tree and forked out its tongue, trying to pick up my scent. It looked upwards having found me but it was too late. I flew down from the treetops and landed straight on its back. It immediately started hissing and thrashing wildly. It kept snapping for my neck but I was able to keep its head down. It eventually coiled around my waist and started crushing me with its extremely powerful body. I only had a few seconds to get this right, _**"Please be right Miss. Aphelandra!"**_ I screamed to myself. With its head pinned down I forced oped its bottom jaw and immediately reached my hand inside of its mouth. I could feel some long fans inside of its mouth but luckily for me I wasn't touching the pointed end. I reached down as far as I could searching for something deep on the upper side of its mouth, near the back of the head. **"Please!"** I begged when my finger finally touched something hard and sharp. I grabbed it and pulled with all my remaining strength. The snake had just about choked the life out of me when I yanked the thing out and it finally let me go.

I pulled the snake off of me and watched it as it finally stopped thrashing. _"God..."_ I said to myself inspecting whatever I had pulled out. It was a large black square covered in the snakes flesh. Miss. Aphelandra was right.

I was able to pull out its control tag.

She told me that during her games she was able to decapitate a muttation. After it was dead she saw a large black piece of something logged in the back of its head. She guessed it was a control chip that allowed the game makers to manipulate the muttations. The two of us had planned for me to take control of a muttation and use it to fight in the games. It was risky but even if it failed I could just kill the beast, or get killed...

I tossed the chip on the ground and crushed it under my boot. When the chip was destroyed the snake started shrinking and began looking like a normal snake, abet still pure white. It shrunk down to about two feet long and stood back up. It looked around for a few seconds, flicking out it tongue in every direction. It didn't seem aggressive anymore, it just looked confused and a little cute. It finally looked at me and stared for a few seconds. I reached into my bad and pulled out a small piece of dried meat.

"Hey guy, you hungry?" I asked throwing the meat at its tail. It sniffed the food for a second before touching it softly and swallowing it. It looked back up at me and just stared. "So...you wanna come with me?" I asked extending my hand with another piece of meat. It stared at me for a few more moments before gently taking the meat and slithering up my hand and in my sleeve.

It kept slithering up my shirt and eventually coiled loosely around my neck. "Oh please don't bite me." I said still nervous that it was going to do something. Instead it just coiled around my neck twice and rested its head against my chest. It looked less like a snake and more like a thin white scarf. "You like it there?" I asked still wary about having it so close. It looked up at me for a seconds then rested it head back against my neck. It seemed content with the warmth of my skin.

"Okay then. Welcome to the team...Ketta." I said satisfied, still touching it softly. I gave Ketta one last scrap of meat and headed out.

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Exciting news all one of you. I'm heading to University in the fall! I'm very excited, and my roommates pretty cute too.


	14. Chapter 14 Blindness

Ding dong the witch is dead.

And Cato's back in Errol's bed.

I do hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 14

Ketta and I headed back into the trees to sleep for a few hours, or until sunrise. Ketta was a funny sort of snake that liked to sleep where ever he felt most warm. After taking a quick nap around my neck he went and coiled around my arm and slept for a bit and even nodded off on top of my head. I could tell that Ketta wasn't naturally as aggressive as his Muttation form. He seemed extremely curious about me and everything I was doing, and the scraps of food I gave him seemed to keep him interested too. At day break we headed out back into the woods still trying to find the horn. We only walked for a few minutes before Ketta started moving around under my shirt. He kept squirming and eventually popped his head out at my collar. He stared in front of us and flicked his tongue out several times, smelling the air. He hissed and coiled back around my neck and flopped down like a long necklace.

"Whats wrong?" I asked peeping down my shirt. He wasn't moving an inch. I figured he smelled something powerful and decided it was better to hide. I climbed down from the trees and walked until I came to a large forest clearing, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Snakes, dozens of them. All dead.

This is what Ketta had smelled. It was the Muttations from earlier, but none of them were moving and several of them were covered in cuts and flecks of blood. I went forward and inspected one of the snakes. It had small cuts littered all over its body, in very precise places. I wondered how these scraps would have been able to kill such large and strong beasts, and then I remembered. I remembered how a tribute had been killed with a precise cut to the throat. In the middle of all the chaos of being attacked only one person could have killed all these snakes so precisely. _"Kuja." _I whispered to myself. I was drawn from my thoughts when Ketta slipped out from my shirt and slithered to a large snake near the end of the clearing. Ketta went to its mouth and flicked its tongue several times, then looked at me. I walked over to the large snake and saw it was still breathing. It was badly hurt and probably didn't have long to live. Its eyes were darting around looking at Ketta and I. It was alive but somehow paralyzed by something. When the snake rested its eyes on Ketta it finally seemed to calm down. Ketta slithered up close it and rested his head on the snakes large mouth.

"Was that your friend?" I asked crouching down to look at them. Eventually the snake stopped breathing and Ketta crawled back up my sleeve.

"I'm sorry." I said offering Ketta another piece of meat, but he just wrapped himself back around my neck and refused to eat.

"_**Oh isn't that so touching?"**_ That icy, cruel voice rang throughout the forest and made my blood go cold. I turned slowly already knowing who it was.

"Topaz." I said finally looking at her. Even after a long night of running and snake attacks she looked no worse for the wear.

"Does the snake freak feel bad that I killed all his friends?" She asked pulling out a knife from her pack.

"You didn't kill any of these snakes. You're too sloppy to make such clean kills." Before I had even finished the last word a knife was flying at my head. I ducked back to dodge it but I was too late. The knife scraped upwards from my cheek, across my eye, and past my forehead. I screamed out in pain but kept running. The vision in my left eye had turned blood red and eventually went completely black. She mad managed to partially blind me in half a second. I ran as fast as I could in any direction, knowing she was still trying to kill me. I tried to get away but my vision had deteriorated and my body felt numb. All I could hear was the sound of her laughing and the whizzing as knives flew past my head. I felt two sharp pains stab into my side and knew two of her knives had found their target. My body finally gave out and I collapsed near a tree. I propped myself up just in time for her to catch up.

"Ha ha! Lets skin this snake!" She said pulling out a hunting knife. She came close slowly, taking time for the fear to set in.

"_I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die." _I kept thinking to myself. I was going to die with two knives in my back and a sliced eye. She came close and held up her knife.

"He's mine now." She said bringing down the knife. Everything seemed to slow down in my last few seconds. Her knife flying towards my head, my searing pain, and the odd squirming feeling I had in my chest. Wait...squirming? Before I could question what was happening Ketta sprang out from under my shirt and latched onto Topaz's neck.

She screamed and grabbed Ketta trying to force him off, but Ketta wouldn't be torn away. He held onto her neck with all his strength and was trying to bring her down single handedly. Topaz eventually tore Ketta off her neck and threw him onto the ground. She thrashed and screamed and began throwing knives in random directions. Ketta had poisoned her, but his poison must have lost much of its lethality after he returned to a normal snake, because Topaz was still standing and seemed to be hallucinating. Ketta's poison must have started to wear off because Topaz caught sight of me and took a knife intent on killing me again. She raced towards me screaming and still in pain, but she never reached me. Just like it had before something flew down from the trees like a shadow. It grabbed Topaz by the side and fell on top of her, slicing her across the neck as they fell. Topaz died before they hit the ground and the loud ringing of the cannon confirmed it seconds later. I looked at the figure and saw Kuja standing over her.

He looked exactly the same as he had before, standing over his latest victim with something shiny in his hand. I finally realized what he was holding, it was a scalpel. It made perfect sense. A scalpel could cut with the precision ten times that of any knife, and in the right hands it could have been the most lethal weapon in the game. Kuja looked back over at me and smiled. Was he mocking me, Or did he still not think of me as any threat, which in my current condition I hardly was. Ketta immediately slithered in front of me and began hissing and spitting at Kuja, still warning that anyone who tried to attack me would feel his full wrath. Kuja smirked at Ketta too and jumped back into the tree tops, but not before gathering Topaz's supplies for himself. I guess he didn't see any reason to kill me. With so many knifes in my body already, I would be dead soon enough.

I sat in the clearing for hours, watching Topaz being dragged off by the hovercraft and several claws pop up from the ground and drag the snakes corpses back into the ground. Ketta stayed with me the whole time. He licked my face and left every few minutes to gather food. He would come back with leaves, rocks and even a dead rat. I loved the gesture but I refused and let him eat the rat. I couldn't feel my body or my left eye, I guess Topaz really had killed me, good for her. I closed my one good eye and tried to fall asleep one last time. I felt Ketta crawl back around my neck, this time offering me heat, and I finally fell asleep.

It was the same dream I had before. Cato and I walking through District 2. We were holding hands and talking. Still holding the hand of the perfect combination of ourselves, the little blonde boy with green blue eyes. I looked down at the boy and he looked up at me, he was smiling and opened his mouth to speak.

"_**ERROL!"**_ he screamed and I was forced awake. Someone had called out to me in the real world. I looked around but didn't see anyone, but Ketta did. He quickly slithered in front of me and hissed to the left of us. Ketta kept poised as my guard while something worked its way through the brush. The figure suddenly bursted from the bushes and stood in front of us.

I tried to see him with my good eye and after his fuzzy figure cleared up I called his name.

_"Cato..."_


	15. Chapter 15 My Pound of Flesh

**Don't be afraid to follow the ones you love.**

Shake it out.

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

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The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 15

_-Cato's view-_

Topaz had gone missing hours ago and the group sent me out to go look for her. After that shit with the mutant snakes I wondered if anyone was still alive. After I lost my cool and screamed Errol's name they had started distrusting me. _"Why the fuck was he following me?"_ I thought wringing the handle of my sword, pretending it was Errol's neck. I had to calm myself down, I had to remember what I was fighting for. I was searching the forest for hours when I heard a cannon blast a few yards from me.

"_**Errol..."**_ It was all I could think when I heard it. I started searching towards the source of the sound, but I got lost in the brush quickly. I just kept running, hoping I could find him, see him.

"_If you can, if you can find me or if I am with you. Will you stay with me when I die?"_ Errol's words kept running in my head.

I promised Errol I would be with him in the end. I would hold his hand and keep him safe until he died. Now he was probably already dead. He had died alone, scared, cold, wondering where his friend had gone. **"Errol Where are you?"** I screamed trying to find him. I kept running and running, screaming as loud as I could. I kept thinking about him, his face and his smile. How everything about Errol made me feel so good. And I had left him, alone. The one promise I had made to him and he was gone forever. I tripped on a thick root and fell to the ground. I tried to pick myself back up but my body felt heavy and cold. Like all the warmth had been taken from the world.

"_Errol...please."_ I begged to myself. If I could just see him again I would finally tell him. I would tell him all the things I should have said years ago. I would hold his hand, and hug him close and do other embarrassing things with him, but it wouldn't matter how embarrassing things would be, because I would have him. I thought about making a life with him, telling my friends, then my parents and would probably marry Errol. It would have probably have been done outside of District 2 but we would still be together. All my pride, all my anger. It had cost me those precious moments with Errol.

I eventually got back up and started walking in a random direction. Then it finally occurred to me. Everything Gale and I had worked for was gone. With Errol dead I would kill Gale, and with Gale dead there would be no reason to keep that puissant Peeta alive. Gale had failed to keep up his end of the bargain so why would I keep mine.

He allowed something I loved to be killed so I would kill what he lov...

what...Something I loved?

Had I just said that?

Something I loved...Errol?

Did I love Errol? Yes, yes I did.

I did loved Errol. I kept repeating it in my head. I do loved Errol. It seemed so...natural. The thoughts kept rushing into my head.

I love Errol.

I found it strange that I had never told him that, or told it to myself. I was walking, repeating my confession when my hand grazed a tree with a knife sticking out of it. It was one of Topaz's knifes. I pulled it out and saw the caked blood on it. I started running and saw more knives sticking in the trees and ground.

"_She chased him through here."_ I thought still running. At this point I wasn't following the knives but the blood spatter that created a line down the forest. I played out the scenario in my head.

"_Topaz spots Errol and shoots him out of the trees?"_ No, that couldn't be it. Errol would have to be on the ground already for Topaz to hit him and draw so much blood.

"_She chased him on the ground and got him a few more times."_ I followed their path and stopped at a large splotch of blood. She got him bad here, but he didn't die here. The hover craft would have blown away all of the leaves and blood when it took his body. Maybe he was alive. Maybe he had killed Topaz and ran away.

"**ERROL!"** I screamed until my lungs hurt. I ran straight down where the scene had ended and I heard something past a large bush. I ran straight into it and cut my way through. I landed on the other side and there he was. He was injured, badly injured but he was alive. Just laying there bloody and weak looking, but for the first time in years he didn't look small. He looked strong.

"Cato..." He said half expecting me to be fake. I was silent, staring at him like he might be fake. I reached my hand out only to quickly back it away when a snake tried to bite it. It hissed and coiled back in front of Errol. I took my sword ready to kill it when Errol extended his hand and touched the snake.

"It's okay Ketta, he's a friend." The snake immediately calmed down and slithered up Errol's sleeve and laid around his neck. "At least I hope he's a friend." Errol said looking back at me. I just stared at him for a while. Errol looked confused and tried to say something, but stopped and looked away from me. I came closer to him, still weary of his snake and saw the blood staining all of his clothes. I peeled back his jacket and saw how bad it actually was. He hadn't taken the knives out, and I was glad he didn't, but the wombs looked infected and the stress was starting to weigh on Errol.

"Can you move?" I asked wiping the sweat off his forehead. He tried to rise but quickly fell back down, groaning in pain as he did.

"I can't! I can't." He said clutching his side. Things were getting worse fast, and if I didn't treat his wombs soon he wouldn't make it. I looked upwards hoping someone would finally see the desperation on our faces. "Go Cato..." I heard him whisper. He was breathing heavily and he couldn't keep his eyes open for long. He had lost so much color in his face and was drenched in sweat.

"Sorry, but I'm not leaving you." I said taking him in my arms, "You and me, were gonna die together." I picked him up and held him bridal style in my arms. He stared at me somewhat surprised but silent.

"But." He started.

"No buts, we'll talk after you're better." I said cutting him off.

He was a feather weight and I was easily able to carry him out of the forest, trying to find us somewhere safe. As I walked I pressed him to my chest and could feel his breathing. It was weird, even with him sick, tired, and nearly dead in my arms, he still didn't look small.

We eventually came to an old overturned tree that had fallen on a large rock. I set Errol on the rock and carefully removed his jacket and shirt. "Okay. We gotta fix you up...somehow." I said inspecting the womb.

"Cato I told you to leave me." He said weakly.

"And I said we'll talk after you're better. So in the mean time shut the fuck up." This seemed to get his attention as he turned from me and kept quite. I checked my supplies and gave Errol some food and water, not that it would help at this point. He seemed upset with me but his anger gave way to pain quickly. He started breathing hard again and he seemed to get even paler. I was lost, I didn't have anything to help him with and he was fading fast.

Slowly a beeping sound pulled me from Errol's condition. I looked behind me and saw a silver parachute land about ten feet from us. I scrambled to it as fast as I could and brought it back to Errol. "A parachute?" He asked still in pain. I opened the lid and saw three things stuffed into the metal container. A bottle of clear liquid, clear plastic thread, and a small needle.

"What is this?" I asked getting mad. Errol was dying and they sent us sewing supplies? I threw them on the ground and started yelling at the sky.

"**You sons of bitches! Send us something we can use!"** But no more supplies came.

"Cato!" Errol called from the tree. I walked back to him and saw him holding the supplies. "I know what these are." He said laying out everything in front of him. "A bottle of alcohol, a spool of surgical thread and a surgical needle." He spoke slowly as we both realized what we had to do.

"So...we're going old fashion?" I asked dreading what we had to do.

"I guess." He said, none too excited about what was going to happen.

"Right...first things first." I said grabbing a stick. I dusted it off and snapped it down into a small size. "Put this in your mouth." I said offering it to him. He looked confused and didn't take it. "Look this is going to hurt like all hell and I don't want to hear you scream. Trust me, you're going to want something to bite on in a second." He finally took it but didn't bite on it yet.

"How bad is this going to be?" He asked still holding the stick. I looked over his mangled body and knew we would be in for a long day.

"Pretty bad."

I turned him on his side, making sure I had full access to the knives. "I have to clean it with the alcohol first. Its going to burn like a mother." I said making sure he knew what he was in for. He nodded and bit on the branch. I opened the bottle and spread a cap full over Errol's wombs. I felt like shit because the second the alcohol hit his skin he started screaming and nearly bit straight through the branch. He writhed on the ground and I was sure that damn snake would have snapped my head off. I held Errol steady and splashed another helping of alcohol again. Errol was going red in the face and was trying to get free. Eventually I had to hold his arms down while the pain slowly faded. He eventually calmed down but was still breathing hard.

"Now comes the painful part..." I said slowly. He went wide eyed and shook his head. "Yes, we have to." I turned him back on his side and he put the branch back in his mouth.

The rest of the evening went horribly slow. I had to pull out the knives (one at a time), clean both wombs with the alcohol and sew them up with the thread. We also spent about an hour cleaning his eye, sewing the scar on his cheek and head, then wrapping it up with a piece of his scarf. By the end of it Errol had almost passed out about 5 times.

I finished at about midnight. It was tricky working on him in the dark but I knew I couldn't wait for sunlight. Errol's breathing had steadied and he was finally resting. I took Errol's clothes and went to wash them in the near by river.

"Watch him." I told the snake, as if it could actually hear me, but to my surprise the snake slithered on top of Errol's chest and kept a good watch. When I came back I saw Errol was shivering. It was a good sign, his body was finally trying to protect itself. His clothes were still too wet to put on him so I huddled with him under the tree. I wrapped him in my jacket and pulled him close. His breathing finally steadied and his shivering almost stopped. "That was a great job Errol." I said, not sure if he could hear me or not.

But in those moments when I wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep I kissed him on the forehead and told him.

"I love you Errol..._Goodnight_."

* * *

**Errol's Bio**

Name: Errol David Sinclair

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Height: 6ft

Weight: 155lbs

Birthplace: District 2

Occupation: Messenger, Tribute

Weapon: Agility, Snake Muttation (Ketta)

Did ya know? Errol's actually older than Cato, who is 16.


	16. Chapter 16 The Estate of Trees

Who is still alive?

Errol, Cato, Peeta, Gale, both boys from District 4, the other girl from District 1, and Kuja

So all the nobodies are dead.

**Lets move on**

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 16

_-Cato's view-_

It was a good night. I didn't dream of anything, but I never do. People say I just don't remember my dreams, but I figure it might as well be the same thing. Besides, I had a dream curled up in a ball in my arms. I opened my eyes slightly and saw light streaming through the trees. Errol was still sleeping but looked ten times better than he did yesterday. His skin had returned to its tan color and his breathing seemed even and calm. He was laying on my chest completely dead to the world.

Now I had never seen Errol sleep before, and it may have just been the awful night he had, but I can say this with complete confidence. He was not a cute sleeper. He wasn't snoring or anything, but his hair was matted and ratty from sweat and his mouth was open, spilling drool over my shirt. Normally I would have been pissed, but he looked so damn hilarious I couldn't stop from laughing. I was glad he was sleeping so deeply, after all he went through he deserved to sleep for as long as he liked. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I didn't fall asleep, I was just thinking. Everything was out in the open now. I didn't mean between Errol and me, but to the whole world. Everyone in the country knew about my relationship with Errol, at least the important parts. I started thinking about mom and dad. What would they think? Would they be angry, disappointed, ashamed?

I didn't think about it too long because I heard a cracking branch in the trees. I opened my eyes and immediately started looking around. I wanted to grab my sword but with Errol on my chest I couldn't reach it, plus with Errol so deep asleep and weak I didn't want to let him go. My eyes scanned the forest several times before they fixed on a dark figure about thirty feet away from us. I couldn't tell who it was but I wrapped my arms around Errol even tighter and stared at the figure. The figure moved and pulled something from its back and aimed it at us. My eyes got wide when I saw it was a bow. Then a wave of fury and pure hate boiled up from the pit of my stomach when I realized who would point a bow at me.

"_Gale."_

The name rang inside my head like a red hot siren. As my eyes focused I could see him clearly. He was tired and looked hungry but was alive. I would make sure to change that quick. He stared at me but kept his bow poised, ready to end it all in a second. I knew why he was aimed at me. I could see it in his face. He was just as furious as I was. I was able to hear his question without him saying a word. _"Where is Peeta?" _

Our deal was simple. Errol and Peeta were our goals. We would protect them with everything we had and we would keep them alive at all costs. If I happened to run into Peeta I would have to protect him, and Gale would do the same for Errol, but clearly the plan had its weak points. I thought I could keep Peeta safe when he joined my group, but I had completely forgotten about him when we spotted Errol, and when Peeta exposed Errol in the trees I had completely forgotten about the deal and was ready to kill Peeta myself. Gale still had his bow pointed at me but started panning down to what was in my arms. That bastard had the goddamn nerve to point an arrow at Errol? If looks could kill Gale would have been dead five time before he hit the ground. So I asked him my own question. I jostled Errol gently to let him know what I was talking about._ "Why did this happen?"_

He looked at Errol and it all started to sink in. Errol's cuts, the blood scattered around the camp, and our dirty makeshift surgery equipment. He kept looking at Errol and then back at me. The anger on his face finally faded and he lowered his bow. He knew I had left Peeta on his own, but Peeta was still alive and well. Errol may have been alive, but he had nearly died about three times in the last seven hours and that was not part of our deal.

"Leave." I said at normal volume. He seemed surprised that I actually said something but thankfully he put his bow away and scattered deep into the trees. I relaxed after a few minutes, making sure he was completely gone. It was a stupid plan anyway. How could we expect someone else to protect the ones we cared about? I tried to keep a close eye on Peeta but after he ratted out Errol I didn't want to protect him. But Gale was keeping up his end of the deal. He may not have protected Errol but he didn't kill him, and he didn't kill me either. I finally let go of Errol, who I was almost smothering, when his snake popped up from his chest looking angry.

"Sorry. We had a problem." I said trying to calm it down. I kept having to remind myself that it was a snake and couldn't understand me, but like before he seemed to hear me, because he perked up and looked around for a few seconds before returning to the warm place between Errol and my chest. I'd have to remember to ask Errol where he got that snake.

_-Errol's view-_

It was a warm, soft amazing sleep. I was curled up against the most comfortable thing I had ever felt and I was not going to be torn away from it. My whole body felt heavy and relaxed, like I could sink into the ground and sleep for a thousand years. I could hear my heart beating in my chest. It was a slow even rhythm that seemed to relax me even more, but I noticed something odd. My ear was against whatever I was laying on and I could hear a beating coming from it. It was steady and even, just like mine. I listened to it and then to mine. They matched perfectly. My heart was beating in perfect harmony with its own. I opened my eyes and saw Cato. He looked nervous but relaxed and smiled when he looked down at me. It was a smile I had only seen in my dream, a smile of pure joy.

"Good morning." He said still beaming. I finally realized where I was. My head was against his chest, and he had the rest of me in his arms, with both of us leaned back against a tree.

"I'm not dead?" I asked still putting everything together. He just chuckled at me.

"No, you're not." I noticed I was getting extra hot and saw that I was still wearing no shirt.

"Cato...can I have my clothes back?" I asked getting steadily more embarrassed.

"Why? I've seen way more than this." He said not realizing who he had said it to. My eyes went wide, but when Cato still hadn't reacted I just let it go. We got up and Cato watched every move I made.

"Cato I'm fine." I said getting tired of his harping.

"No, you're not." He said turning me to inspect my stitches. He touched my waist and I half expected to scream form the tenderness, but his touch just felt warm. "What the..." Cato said still inspecting me. I felt a pulling and a slight stinging as Cato pulled on something.

"Wait what are you doing?" I asked. He didn't say anything but pulled out a long clear thread.

"It's your stitches. They healed." Cato said pulling out another. He pulled out the rest of my stitches and we just looked at them.

"I guess that wasn't so old school after all." I said smiling. My wombs had healed like magic, but my left eye was still blind. It took me a while to get used to it, but after a bit of practice I was able to walk around without running into everything.

"You don't know how much you'll miss it until its gone." I said touching my eye. Cato didn't laugh, he got serious and wouldn't look at me.

"Yeah..." Was the only thing he said.

"Hey! So where we going now?" I asked stretching my stiff muscles. He snapped out of his daze and looked up at me. He seemed frustrated at something but just sighed.

"We gotta go get someone." He said looking even more upset.

"Who?" I asked, wondering who else Cato was looking for.

"Its complicated, but we have to go get the tribute from district 12." He said still looking miserable.

"Gale?" I asked. He shot me a death glare for some reason but spoke anyway.

"The blonde...Peeta." I was surprised, but excited.

We headed out quickly. Cato went on the ground and I climbed through the trees above him. It felt so good to finally be up and running around, I didn't even notice when I had gone too far ahead and lost track of Cato.

"Cato?" I called but no answer. I looked all over the ground but didn't see any sign of him.

"Did you see him?" I asked Ketta. He looked up at me from my chest but didn't do anything else, that was his way of saying no. All of a sudden Ketta perked up and looked off towards the left. He flicked his tongue a few times and hissed slowly. Ketta sensed something in the trees and it wasn't Cato. My heart started racing, _"Kuja?"_ I immediately thought. I knew he spent all his time in the trees, maybe he had come back to finish me off. I walked forward carefully. Ketta suddenly darted out of my clothes and slithered around the tree branches, disappearing into the leaves._ "Ketta!"_ I whispered. I pulled back a branch trying to follow him and saw what Ketta had sensed.

It was a reflex I should have ignored but when I saw him I couldn't help but call out to him.

"Gale."

The second the words left my mouth he turned and loaded his bow. He seemed to recognize me but didn't put down the bow.

"Stay there!" He said still flustered by my sudden arrival.

"Put the bow down." I said not batting an eyelash. I moved towards him and he aimed the bow at my head.

"I said stay there!" He said louder.

"And I said put the bow down!" I repeated. He seemed confused. I was in no place to give him orders, especially when he had a weapon aimed at me. I pointed my finger to the tree trunk where he was leaned up against. He turned his head slowly, probably expecting Cato, but only saw Ketta poised on a branch and ready to strike the second Gale released his arrow.

I pulled a piece of bread and cheese out of my pack and held it up to him.

"Lets have some lunch." I said smiling.

* * *

I think some character bio's and some trivia is always fun.

**Cato's Bio**

Name: Cato Eucliff

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Height: 6ft 2in

Weight: 177lbs

Birthplace: District 2

Occupation: Tribute

Weapon: Strength, Sword

Did ya know? Cato is a Latin name that means _"All knowing."_ How...ironic.


	17. Chapter 17 Garnet Gale

We're getting close to the end.

So I want to know.

What should happen after the games are done?

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 17

_-Errol's view-_

Gale looked suspicious, as I knew he would. Another tribute was offering him food with a poisonous snake perched behind him "I'm serious, just lunch." He still seemed unconvinced. "Look, its been one hell of a day. Lets just relax for a second." I said to him, calling Ketta back. Ketta slither over the branches and crawled up my waiting arm.

"What the hell is that thing?" Gale asked still holding his arrow. It occurred to me that Gale might not know what a snake was. Snakes had died out years ago and I had only seen them in books and videos, and Gale did live in district 12, not what you'd call a hub of education.

"You've never seen one before?" I asked holding Ketta up. He looked over Ketta for a second before shaking his head.

"Is that...a snake?" He asked. I nodded.

"He was a muttation released by the game makers, but I released him from their control and now he sticks with me...for some reason." I said sitting on the branch. I unwrapped the cheese and gave a bit to Ketta. He swallowed it, probably wishing it was another rat. I knew Cato didn't like me giving food to the snake but...Cato wasn't here. "I think he just likes the food." I said laughing. I took a piece for myself and offered some cheese wrapped in bread to Gale. "You look hungry." I said still holding out the food.

"I'm fine." He said defensively, but no sooner had he finished when his stomach started groaning from hunger. Gale put a hand to his belly to try to quite it down.

"Its not poison and I swear I'm not armed." I said taking off my pack and tossing it on a nearby branch. "Well, not anymore." Cato had given me the knives from my wombs. I didn't like having them but I knew they would be useful later. Gale looked me over intently, like he was trying to figure out what I was _really_ thinking.

"You're serious?" He asked, finding no hidden intentions.

"Serious." I said extending my hand again. He took the food quickly and backed up a bit, putting away his bow. We ate in silence for a while. He would look up at me after finishing his food and I would toss him another roll or hunk of cheese. I didn't have much and I ended up giving most of my food to Gale. "That's all I have. Sorry." I said inspecting my pack one last time. Gale looked at me and finally crossed the branch. He sat down opposite from me and just kept looking.

"You're from District 2 right?" He asked unsure of the answer.

"Yep, born and raised." I said giving up on my pack.

"You just don't seem like you'd fit in there." He said probably not meaning to offend. I smiled to myself but didn't say anything. I knew he was right, and I had been told that I didn't belong in district 2 for my whole life. But District 2 was my only home. It may have been a cold, hard place but it was my only place, and I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else. As I thought about it my eye started to burn and I touched it softly, trying to ebb the pain. Gale finally noticed my bandaged eye. "What happened to you there?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"The girl from District 1 took it." I didn't like remembering what happened, but I knew I wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

"Did you kill her?" Gale asked. I shook my head.

"She died, but It wasn't me. It was a boy from District 10." I also didn't like remembering Kuja. I didn't like remembering how he spared my life twice, and laughed at me as he escaped. "He...is dangerous. Probably the most dangerous Tribute in the game. I've only seen him kill two people, but he was so deadly and precise, I know he's killed a lot more." Telling Gale about Kuja made me shiver. The thought that at anytime Kuja could pop out of the trees and kill us made me feel even worse.

"Hey you okay?" Gale asked squatting in front of me. I was shaking, I didn't realize I was doing it but when he put his hand on my shoulder I knew I must have been pretty bad.

"I...I don't like thinking about it." I said starting to tear. In one swift motion Gale put his arms around me and stopped my shivering. It was a brief hug but all my worries and fears melted away in a flash.

It was so familiar yet worlds away from what I had felt before. When Cato held me it was strong and safe, but when Gale held me it was warm and kind.

I looked up at him confused but grateful. "Thank you." I said finally calm. He just nodded. I wiped my eyes and tried to straighten up. "Where are you headed?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"I'm looking for Peeta." He said gathering his things.

"Really? So are we. "I said perking up. Gale turned and looked surprised.

"What do you mean?" He asked coming close to me.

"Cato and I were going to find him. I don't really know why but I like Peeta, So I decided to come along." I said while gathering my things too. Gale looked deep in thought.

"Where's Cato?" He asked looking back at me. I finally remembered that I had lost Cato a while ago, and we was probably destroying the forest looking for me.

"Oh...right. I kinda lost track of him." I said nervously. As if on cue a loud call ripped through the forest behind us.

"What is that?" Gale asked readying an arrow. Instinctually I hopped up to the highest level of the trees and watched.

"Errol!" I heard someone call out. It came again louder, it was Cato, and by the sound of things I knew he was upset.

"I think that's for you." Gale said lowering his bow. I hopped down from the trees and landed a few feet from Cato. He was not happy.

"Where the hell did you go?" He yelled crossing over to me. I used to be afraid of Cato whenever he would yell at me, but seeing it now, It just made me smile.

"I'm sorry. I went too far ahead, but I found something cool." I said looking upwards into the trees. Cato looked up and saw Gale nod to him silently. Cato reached for his sword but only grabbed Ketta who had coiled around the hilt tightly. "No fighting. Please Cato!" I yelled. We had all seen too much bloodshed, if I could stop it in anyway I would. Cato let go of his sword and Ketta slithered back over to me.

"You trained him pretty well." Cato said calming down.

"He doesn't want to see anyone else die either." I said defiantly. Gale climbed down and stood in front of us.

"I hear you're going to look for Peeta." He said calmly. Cato nodded. "Let me come with you. Please." He asked. Gale looked calm on the surface but his eyes betrayed his desperation. Cato looked at me, like he was asking for my approval.

"Yeah...yes!" I said excited. I liked Gale and I loved Cato, if I could get the two of them to work together we might actually stand a chance in the games.

"Gale if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to protect Peeta so bad?" I asked somewhat curious. I knew they were from the same district but I didn't know they were so close. It probably was none of my business, but I felt like our secrets were worthless in the arena. I just wished that Cato could figure that out.

"Don't get into peoples business Errol." Cato said defensively.

"Its fine." Gale said looking at his feet, thinking hard.

"Because I love him." He said quickly, but with absolute confidence. He didn't say anything else and quickly started walking with Cato. Cato didn't look surprised and walked with Gale silently, like they both knew what they had to do. I was surprised by how bravely Gale had admitted it, like it was the most natural thing in the world to say.

_-Cato's view-_

"Because I love him." That's the last thing Gale said. He said it so proudly, like it was a medal he wore on his chest. He announced it to the entire world, completely fearless, but I had to whisper it to a half-dead, sleeping boy. I wanted to tell Errol, I wanted to let him know everything I felt, but I was afraid. I didn't know what I was afraid of, but just the thought made my skin crawl. I felt so weak, like a coward. Errol was standing there in front of me, alive and well, but he still seemed so far away. I had told myself if he was alive I would open myself to him, but I was still keeping him away. _"After we find Peeta."_ I said to myself.

A loud crunching sound tore me away from my thoughts and forced us all to stop.

"What on Earth?" I heard Errol say before he was knocked away by a piece of cracking rock. Errol managed to jump back in time but a large crag in the ground separated Errol from Gale and I. Another sickening crack rang out and a tremor forced the ground to split even more times. It was like a sinkhole, and earthquake all rolled into one. A large chunk of land suddenly jutted out of the ground and sank back falling into the earth. Everything was splitting around us, and I noticed something coming up from under the ground. It was an awful heat and a terrible glow, "Lava." Gale said covering his face. The lava sent up a plume of thick toxic gas that made my lungs tighten and my eyes burn. The ground cracked again and my footing began to split.

"**We need to get out of here."** Gale called over the sound of the splitting ground. I jumped over to him but lost my balance when another piece of the ground split and fell into the lava. I fell back onto a large platform and was nearly charbroiled when a stream of lava splurged out of the pool below.

"**CATO!"** I heard Errol scream from the high ground. I hadn't realized how much the ground had sank until I saw how high Errol was. Gale suddenly jumped over to my platform and offered me a hand.

"Come on. We're not dying until we get to say goodbye to them." Gale said taking my hand. We stood and looked at the crumbling landscape around us.

"Yeah...there's still something I need to say."

_-Errol's view-_

I just stood on the cliff as the ground sank beneath Cato and Gale's feet. I wanted to do something to help them but if I climbed down I would only get in their way. I thought about sending Ketta but I knew he would be no help. Surprisingly Ketta seemed worried. He kept thrashing and hissing afraid of something.

"Its okay we'll try to help them." I said trying to calm him down. I looked over at them and saw Cato take Gales hand. "What are they doing?" I asked myself.

"**Alone again, naturally."** I heard someone say. I turned and froze when I saw him standing only a few feet away from me.

"Kuja." I said trembling.

"Kuja. That's quite a name, but my real one is far less spectacular." He drew his scalpel and started walking towards me. This is what he was waiting for, this would be our last moment as opponents in the Hunger Games. Without Cato or Gale to protect me I knew I would have to fight him myself. Another sick plan of the game makers.

I drew a knife from my pack and had Ketta hide in my sleeve. Kuja seemed amused by my stance.

"You may call me, Joshua." He said before charging at me.

* * *

**Kuja's Bio**

Name: Joshua Garnet (Kuja)

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Height: 5ft 8in

Weight: 143lbs

Birthplace: District 10

Occupation: Animal Surgeon, Tribute

Weapon: Scalpel

Did ya know? Kuja was inspired by the _Naruto_ character Kabuto Yakushi, in terms of appearance and ability.


	18. Chapter 18 Cato Lily

The Pale Horse and White Snake

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 18

_-Errol's view-_

It was useless.

No matter how hard I tried Kuja...Joshua, would dodge me at every turn. I lunged at him with my knife, he dodged, but I swung my free arm around and had Ketta pop out of my sleeve to bite him, only for Joshua to dive under me and kick out both my knees. The pain made me drop to the ground, which was still rumbling and splitting only a few feet away from us. He was just playing with me. While I was on the ground he grabbed my collar and spun me around before tossing me to the ground and kicking me again. Joshua only smiled, savoring the last few moments of my life. I managed to get up and quickly back away before he got too close, but I knew running was my only option. When the ground heaved again I was reminded that Gale and Cato were still trapped and I couldn't leave them behind.

"Whats a snake to do when the ones he loves are already dead?" Joshua said pushing his glasses back up his nose. He dived to the ground and dashed over to me. He moved so strange, low to the ground, fast as a bullet. I flipped back only to have him flash under my arms and look up at me from the ground. I couldn't move fast enough when his hand came up to my face and sent a modest slash up my cheek. Before he could do any worse Ketta lashed out at Joshua and bit his hand repeatedly. Joshua dashed back and inspected his hand.

"_Perfect."_ I thought, with Ketta's venom running through his blood he would be in no shape to fight me. Joshua looked over his hand and smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial, it looked like a makeshift syringe filled with a yellowish liquid. He pressed the pointed end to his hand just as it started trembling. The liquid emptied into his skin and he sighed in relief.

"_Ahhh_, I knew making an antitoxin would be useful." Joshua said tossing the vial over his shoulder.

"Antitoxin?" I asked confused. He looked at me surprised by my question.

"Are you daft? An antitoxin was necessary in case I came across any more of those Muttations." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It was simple really. Kill a few snakes, chop off their heads and harvest their venom to make an antitoxin. Really very simple." He said smiling.

His tone made my blood boil and Ketta seemed furious, like he could understand everything Joshua had said. Ketta crawled from under my clothes and slithered on the ground. He was completely enraged and couldn't control his thrashing and hissing.

"Ketta?" I asked trying to calm him down. When I reached for him he snapped at my hand and only seemed to grow more fierce.

"Oh, have I offended you, Viperidae?" Joshua asked, his tone full of sarcasm and pride. "I figured his kind were much more intelligent than normal. Normal snakes don't have the mental capacity for anger or loyalty, so it only makes sense." He said mocking me. Ketta's eyes grew wide and the familiar red markings of his muttation form appeared over his face. He opened his mouth and his fangs started to grow and released a thick dark fluid. He was changing, slowly he was changing into a monster. It was like when I removed his control chip but in reverse. He started to grow and expand. I finally figured out what the control chip did to the snakes, it didn't control them, it enraged them. Joshua was right, snakes only acted on instinct, not emotion. To make them deadlier and more effective killing machines the game makers must have boosted their intelligence, hence giving them emotions. Ketta's transformation was triggered by intense rage, and without the chip he had a much harder time controlling it, but when Joshua admitted and gloated about killing all of Ketta's family, he lost himself and gave into the rage and dark feelings that snakes shouldn't have.

I immediately jumped away from Ketta, unsure if he knew who I was any more. Joshua seemed absolutely fascinated with Ketta's transformation and readied another scalpel.

"Interesting." He said as Ketta calmed down. Ketta had finally stopped thrashing and looked like he had before. About 20 feet long, with long sharp fangs and red markings around his eyes, he was his old self, he was a muttation. Ketta flicked out his tongue repeatedly and turned towards me. He stared at me, gathering my sent before he flashed towards me in the blink of an eye. He was so fast, faster than I ever could be, and he tackled me to the ground, and started coiling around me. Much to my surprise he wasn't trying to strangle me but instead put his head under my shirt, and tried to crawl under my clothes, like he had done when he was small. I stared laughing at Ketta's attempts to be like a normal snake.

"Ketta stop, stop!" I said pushing him away. He arched his neck and looked me in the eye. His body may have changed, but Ketta was looking back at me, full of the curiosity he always had. I put my hand to his head and he flicked his tongue, content at my touch. "Excuse me?" We both heard Joshua call out.

"This is all very touching but I am going to need a sample of that snake. Maybe I can tame him for myself." He said with a slick grin. Ketta and I got up and faced Joshua, I drew another knife and held them in front of my face.

"You're a monster." I finally said. Joshua seemed amused by the accusation.

"I'm a scientist. Experiments are what I do, yes." He said extremely content with himself.

"And you should be on your knees thanking me. After all you're only alive because of me." He said still gloating. This gave me pause for thought. I only thought he was mocking me because he thought I wasn't worth the effort.

"Why did you spare me then?" I asked still confused. He arched an eyebrow and smiled again, but not before letting out a sigh.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Was the last thing he said before he charged at me. Ketta coiled at my side and shot out at Joshua, and I quickly followed. It was fast, it was bloody and it was perfect.

Ketta had slithered under his feet only for Joshua to stab the ground below him, nearly missing Ketta. I came up on his side and slashed at his chest only for him to flip off my shoulder. Ketta was waiting for him and nearly snapped his head off until Joshua kicked Ketta's head away. Ketta flopped away and put his head to the ground, seemingly passed out. Joshua turned to me and was able to slice my arm from shoulder to elbow, it wasn't deep but it was dangerous. He managed to flip behind me and kick out one of my legs forcing me to one knee. Before I could move he grabbed me by the hair and held his scalpel to my throat.

"_Just stop."_ He whispered into my ear, coming extremely close. It was odd though, his voice had no malice, no anger and seemed filled with real concern. I could feel his hand trembling through my hair and he raised the scalpel to finish the job. Before he could bring it down he stopped and cried out in agony. The second he loosened his grip I took my two knives and drove them into his chest before he could make another move.

It was over. Joshua stumbled back still dazed. I saw what had made him scream in pain. It was Ketta in his normal form. He had awakened and bit Joshua in the ankle before he could kill me. Joshua kept walking backwards before he finally fell on his back and stopped moving. He was still alive but was fading quickly. I walked over to him, still wary, but I dropped my guard when I saw him. He was smiling, not a smile of pride or arrogance, but one of peace.

"Ha, I knew I couldn't kill you." He said coughing up a bit of blood. I moved towards him and sat on my knees above him.

"Why didn't you kill me?" I asked still wanting an answer. He looked up at me and slowly grabbed my bandaged eye.

"I wish...I could have saved that." He said touching it softly. He seemed so calm, so at peace with himself. "You are an odd kind. A power I couldn't know..." He writhed in pain for a second then calmed.

"Don't talk." I said trying to cover his wombs. He looked at me while I worked and started laughing, eliciting more blood from his injured organs.

"Its a strange power. Infinite warmth...the power to create something from nothing." He said, his tone getting progressively weaker. He looked up at me and smiled. He took my hand and held it for a moment still looking directly at me. He pulled himself towards me and kissed me just below my eye.

"Those eyes." He said laughing softly and falling back. "Those are the eyes of someone I could have fallen in love with." He was still smiling but his eyes began to close and his breathing began to slow. As he closed his eyes he said one last thing to me. "Ha...what am I talking about..._could have_." His breathing slowed to a stop and he quietly died.

_-Cato's view-_

"Your sure this will work?" I asked drenched in sweat. Gale was no better and had to wipe his forehead every few seconds so his sweat wouldn't get in his eyes.

"No, but its this or the lava." He said still unsure of the plan himself. I agreed and handed Gale my sword. He attached it to one of his arrows and tied a long piece of rope to the end.

"My arrow wont be strong enough to hold us both, but maybe your sword will." He said readying his arrow. Just before he let go of the handle a loud boom shook us from our plan.

"A cannon..." Gale said, his voice full of doom. My eyes widened and filled with fear.

"**Shoot the damn thing."** I screamed. Gale aimed and shot the arrow without a second thought. It landed just below the cliff top. Gale tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure.

"You go first. I'll be right behind you." He said giving me the rope. I immediately started climbing, my mind running wild with the thought of Errol dead.

"_I'm coming Errol." _I kept repeating to myself. I could feel Gale behind me but I didn't look back for a second. My hands began to ache and I was sure they were bleeding from holding the rope so tight. I didn't care about the pain, I had lost Errol once already, I was never losing him again. I kept climbing and could feel the heat getting further away. I finally reached the top and put my hand over the cliff, grabbing a fistful of grass. I tossed myself over the side and saw Errol, alive.

Alive didn't seem the right word for Errol. He was more than alive. He was standing over a dead body, but the body had its arms crossed and had several hundred flowers decorating it. The light streamed down through the remaining trees and it was like Errol was an angel hovering over a soul. His eyes held a gentleness and compassion that he was known for, only it seemed grander and more powerful. He kept touching the dead boy, making sure his funeral arrangement was perfect. I finally noticed Errol was crying and I came up to him. He looked up at me with surprise but not shock. I took his hand and held it as he finished his crying. The first kill was the hardest, especially for someone like Errol. No matter who offended him Errol always forgave them in the end. I never really wished I was like Errol, but seeing him so full of grace and mercy I couldn't help but see a god within him. I crouched down next to him and hugged him close.

"_It's okay."_ I whispered, kissing him on the forehead. I took the bottom of my shirt and wiped his eyes, it was something I always did whenever Errol would cry back home, he finally calmed down and looked at me. His good eye was full of something wonderful and mysterious, like he feared nothing, but without pride or arrogance. The forest went silent and a hovercraft appeared a few minutes later. The wind created by the craft blew the flowers all around us and petals decorated the air. Errol lifted the body as the hover craft took it away. It was like Errol had helped this boy fly into heaven.

I let him go and we both rose. Gale had made it safely over the pit and was still trying to catch his breath. We crossed over to Gale, and Errol extended his hand, and in an attempt to be like him I extended my hand too. Gale took both our hands and we departed.

Together.

* * *

Remember to review boys and girls. They fill me with a horrible, beautiful strength!

**Ketta's Bio**

Age: 9 Months

Gender: Male

Height: 3ft (Normal) 17ft (Muttation)

Weight: 15lbs (Normal) 543lbs (Muttation)

Birthplace: The Capitol

Occupation: Muttation

Weapon: Fangs, poison, strength


	19. Chapter 19 Peeta's Field

**Just remember I love you.**

Except you.

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do...

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 19

_-Cato's view-_

Errol and I had met about 10 years ago. It was when his mother had died. My father was sub-commander for the District 2 Peacekeepers and was Erica Sinclair's subordinate. The two of them had been friends for years before I was born and had worked up the ranks of the peacekeepers together. They were close friends and my father admitted if he had never married my mother he would have married Erica. After Erica died in the training accident my whole family attended the funeral. That's when I first saw Errol. He was only about 6 or 7 and he was clutching his fathers hand crying like a baby. He was just some blubbering kid who was crying over his dead mommy. It may not have sounded _nice_ but that's how things worked. District 2 was the most militarized district in the country. Hard, strong men and women were born from it everyday and ones emotions had to be kept in check.

In District 2 ones choices of careers was limited. Either one would be drafted as a peacekeeper, a trainee for the hunger games, or trained as a messenger.

See back during the Dark Days moving supplies and information between two points was extremely difficult. Armored convoys would be blasted off the sides of mountains and hovercrafts would be shot down in seconds. The messengers were created to become untouchable machines of transportation. Back in the old days messengers were faster than most ships and able to move twice the supplies in half the time. Stories say that without the messengers District 2 would have never survived the war. However, after the war ended the messengers fell out of use and were reduced to a local mail delivery system, kept less for their usefulness but more for their memory. It was one the three great careers of District 2 and everyone fell into a place. I became a trainee of District 2 and Errol became a messenger. Errol was probably one of, if not the best, messengers in the country, though he would never admit it. However his speed and agility never helped his social life.

Errol was always...different. Like I said, District 2 was a hard place to live, and Errol was soft and kind. From the day we met he expressed a gentleness that was almost unheard of in District 2, and this made him the bullies favorite target. He would get picked on at school every day and no one would ever come to his rescue, not even the adults. I would watch Errol get teased at school, on the playground and I noticed something incredible. No matter how many times his things were stolen, or how many times he was tripped or made fun of, he would always get right back up and keep going. No matter how hard District 2 tried it couldn't destroy Errol's gentle nature, and I guess that's what drew me too him, but...more on that later.

Gale, Errol and I eventually made it back to the field of the Cornucopia. We were a good thirty Yards from the horn and were still hidden by the trees. We split up, I stayed on the ground to scout and Errol and Gale took to the we separated Errol gave me his snake, he said it would help me but I just thought it was creepy, the snake didn't seem too excited either. We circled the horn a few times taking in the surroundings. While I was gone the other careers had turned it into their main base, and were no longer moving around looking for others. I saw the other girl from District 1, Venus, coming in and out of the horn gathering supplies and bringing them over to the others. She sat them down next to the Boys from District 4, who looked like they had seen battle recently.

I went through the list in my head. _"Me, Errol, Gale, Peeta, Venus, the boys from 4."_ After Errol had killed the boy from District 10 we were all that was left. I knew who would be the most troublesome of all, and for once it wasn't Gale, it was Venus. Venus had managed to keep quite through most of the competition but I knew what she was capable of. I knew that if anyone went one on one with her, they would lose. Spears were Venus's weapon and she wielded them less like weapons and more like lovers. I knew I would need Errol, Gale and Peeta's help if I was going to bring her down. _"Wait...Peeta?"_ I finally remembered. I looked over their campsite and tried to find the blonde boy, but with no success. Maybe he had fled into the woods, or maybe they were keeping him somewhere. _"Hey."_ I whispered to the snake coiled in my pack. He slithered over my shoulder and I shivered, still creeped out by it.

"I want you to look for someone, a blonde boy, he should smell something like Gale." I said, hoping it really could understand me. He flicked his tongue at me and I hoped that was a yes. "After you find him go tell Errol. Okay?" I asked. The snake slinked out of my hands and slithered almost invisibly through the tall grass, heading for the campsite.

_-Errol's view-_

Gale stuck to the lower branches while I waited in the upper canopy. Gale stalked through the trees slowly but carefully. His eyes were fixed on the campsite but he seemed aware of everything that was going on around him. I was struck by how natural he seemed in the forest, I may have been able to run and jump through the trees quickly but Gale was a forest hunter and this was his territory. Something seemed to catch Gales attention and he waved me down from my perch. I crawled down next to him and saw him staring intently at something in the field.

"Look at that, in the grass." He said pointing to the center of the field. It was moving quickly though the grass and was almost invisible.

"_Ketta."_ I whispered. I could spot my snake from a mile away, but I was just wondering what he was doing out in the open.

"Why is he out there? He was supposed to stay with Cato right?" Gale asked annoyed. I didn't respond but just kept watching Ketta. He would move forward then stop, change direction and move before stopping again.

"He's looking for something." I finally said.

"Is he looking for us?" Gale asked. I shook my head.

"No, he knows our sent too well to lose any of us. Cato sent him to look for something." I said still watching Ketta. We both realized what Ketta was looking for.

"Peeta." We both said in unison. We turned to face each other, and I could see the desperation growing in Gale's eyes. We hadn't been able to spot Peeta since we arrived, and I knew he needed to know something about Peeta's location. I patted his back, trying to calm him down.

"Don't worry, snakes track by scent. If there is even a speck of your scent still on Peeta, Ketta will find it." This, however didn't seem to calm Gale down. I noticed Ketta acting strangely and saw him moving quickly through the grass towards the horn. "He's got it." I said standing up. Gale stood with me and we both watched Ketta disappear into the horn.

We thought Ketta had picked up Peeta's scent, but as quickly as he rushed into the horn he slithered out and came towards us, but I noticed something looked different about Ketta he seemed spooked and was covered in red spots. He came to the tree and slithered up the hidden side of the log. He came up to us and we both realized what made Ketta so scared. He was covered in blood, it wasn't his blood, but we both knew what it was. He had been tracking Peeta's scent and he had found it, he was covered in Peeta's blood.

Gale turned away from Ketta lurching forward and vomiting over the side of the tree. I put Ketta down and held Gale's bow as he emptied his stomach. He was shaking and I knew what he was feeling. That horrible sense of doom, and the thought that the people you love could be dead. I wiped off Ketta the best I could and took Gale from the field. We retreated into the back woods where we had agreed to meet Cato after some recon. Cato was waiting for us and seemed surprised at Gale's condition.

"_What happened?"_ Cato asked with his eyes. I shook my head and brought Gale to a stream where he could drink and clear his head.

"Errol." Cato said coming up on my side.

"We found Peeta." I said hating the words. I held up the blood stained rag I had used to clean Ketta.

"Ketta went into the horn following Peeta's scent. He came back covered in what we think is his blood." I said giving the rag to Cato. Cato walked over to Gale and threw the rag at his side.

"We know he's still alive and we know where he is. So get the fuck up. We're going after him." He said trying to snap Gale out of his shock. Gale looked up at him and we both saw how bad he really was. His eyes were red and he couldn't focus on anything. Cato walked away from Gale.

"Errol. You deal with this." He said with a disgusted tone.

"Don't judge him Cato." I said while he walked away. I could feel Cato staring at me but I chose to ignore him. I walked to Gale and sat at his side. He must have been crying because he kept rubbing his eyes. We sat in silence together for a while, _"What does Cato want me to do?"_ I wondered to myself. I thought for a second and decided to just say something.

"How did you and Peeta get so close?" I asked hoping he would respond. He looked at me for a second, but turned away and just looked into the water. I felt bad, maybe I had hit a raw nerve.

"I first met him when I was 5." Gale said softly. I looked at him.

"Tell me about it." I said trying to encourage him.

"Peeta comes from a family of bakers, the best in the world I bet." He said, his voice getting a little stronger. "After he was born his family built a new store and the whole district came to see it's opening. It was a good day, they gave out fresh bread, cakes and sweets. Peeta was at a table handing out sugar cupcakes." He said chuckling to himself. I could just imagine it, a tiny version of Gale and Peeta meeting for the first time. "I walked over to get a cupcake." He said continuing. "But when he saw me walking to him he ran into the store. I just stood there thinking he was scared of me or something, but after a few minutes he ran back out covered in pink and green frosting, hiding something behind his back. He came back up to me, smiling like an idiot when he finally gave me what he was hiding. It was a cupcake with a big pink and green flower frosted on the top. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but he just stood there, smiling holding out this beautiful cupcake. I just snatched it from his hands and ran off back into the crowd." He said, making us both laugh. Gale got quite and tensed again.

"I wasted so much time. I should have been with him everyday. I should have held him close and told him I love him. I shouldn't have been afraid to be with him." Gale said putting his head in his arms.

I just stared at Gale.

"I can see why Peeta would love you." I said smiling. "You're an easy man to love." Gale looked up at me and chuckled, but only for second. I finally got up and stood in front of Gale. "You love Peeta right?" I asked, Gale nodded. "And you think he loves you?" I asked again. Gale thought for a second and looked back up at me.

"Yeah." He said. I smiled.

"Then lets go get him."

* * *

Snix right?

Yeah, Snix.

I made a character page for Errol with a pic of him, but for some reason I cant make a link for it._  
_


	20. Chapter 20 Errol's Horn

Errol and Cato

Peeta and Gale

Me and my Pillow

Best relationships ever.

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 20

_-Cato's view-_

We managed to drag Gale out of his depression long enough to make a plan, and like most of my plans it was pretty simple. We create a distraction and grab Peeta during the confusion.

"Simple." Errol said considering the plan.

"Simple minded maybe." Gale said finally acting like his old self, personally I liked it when he was depressed and quiet.

"Lets hear your fucking plan." I said tired of Gales smart mouth.

"Look, theres three of them left, even if we manage to drag two of them away were still going to be dragged into a fight, and these guys are no slouches." Gale said. He took the time to point out all the things I had missed, yeah...I definitely liked it when he was quiet.

"Maybe we should sneak in under night cover, less mess and we can take things at our own pace." Gale said offering any new ideas.

"That's stupid." I said mostly out of spite.

"Its twenty feet from the horn to the forest in any direction. Even at night we couldn't move fast enough or quietly enough to get Peeta." Everyone became silent realizing getting Peeta would be harder than we thought.

"I could go." Errol finally said. Gale and I looked at him.

"**No." **We both said. I didn't care if Gale had said it at the same time, I wanted Errol to know how bad of an idea that was.

"I'm the fastest person here and I can move though the field without making a sound." He said trying to reason his crazy idea.

"**No."** We both said again.

"**Well, do you have any better ideas?"** Errol asked yelling. "I can do it. I can find Peeta and get him back, and if we run into trouble I have Ketta with me at all times and you guys as backup." Gale and I were probably thinking the same thing, having Errol go was probably our only choice.

"Wait, you and Peeta have never met. How will he trust you?" I asked still trying to get rid of the idea. Gale looked up at Errol and smiled.

"Errol's not someone you have a hard time trusting." He said still looking at Errol. Of all the shit Gale has said or done, nothing had ever made me more pissed off than this. Gale looking at Errol like that. It was enough to make me want to chop his head off.

"Right..." I said in a low tone.

"So I'll go?" Errol asked again. I calmed down and thought about it. I looked over at Gale and he nodded.

"Alright." I said. "But this needs to happen soon." I warned.

"Tonight?" Gale asked.

"No. The morning. Early morning" Errol said with a smile.

I didn't like how Errol was so relaxed about the plan. He would be throwing himself into a battle field and he didn't seem bothered by it in the least. After Gale had gone to sleep and we had put out the fire I took Errol out of the camp, we needed to be alone. We walked out to a lake near the camp and stood under a tree. The game makers had created a full moon tonight, so there was plenty of light for us to talk, not that we did much talking. Errol looked out over the water and I was stricken by something I had never noticed. I finally realized how attractive Errol actually was. He was tall and strong looking, he had a sharp chin and strong features in general. We had removed the bandage around his face and their was a long scar around his left eye, sealing it shut, but Errol wore the scar as an accessory. For as long as I had known Errol he was always, cute, or sweet, but as I looked at him, lit up by the moonlight I saw a man before me. A strong, handsome young man who could survive the worse the world could throw at him.

I walked over to him and put my hand behind his head. He seemed surprised but relaxed as he figured out what we were doing. I closed my eyes then Errol closed his and I brought his face close to mine.

_-Errol's view-_

We had to start early, too early. I shouldn't complain, it was my idea after all. It was probably four in the morning when we headed out. Gale went ahead to scout and Cato took me to the back of the horn where I would be most hidden. I would run to the horn, scale the back and keep to the opposite the careers camp. I would sneak into the horn and have Ketta report back to the guys on Peeta's condition. I wouldn't be able to move him back on my own, so while the coast was clear Gale or Cato would come in and help take Peeta out. Gale came back a few minutes later and gave the all clear. We all scaled into the trees and I stood on a tall branch ready to jump. "Move quickly and get Peeta's condition. For all we know they planted his blood to fake us out." Cato said, still extremely anxious.

"Remember if Peeta is in stable condition send Ketta back with a blue mark, if he's not a red mark." Gale reminded me one last time. I nodded and had Ketta coil around my neck. I walked out onto the branch and took a deep breath.

As my breath left me I ran over the branch and jumped into the air. I hadn't run so quickly since the games began and it felt like the wind was at my back, pushing me forward. The horn came up quickly and I flipped over and jumped on the top, landing quiet as a mouse. I waited at the top moving slowly looking over the side of the horn at the careers camp. They were all asleep. One of them was a girl with long wavy brown hair that went past her waist, I guessed that was Venus. There were two boys laying next together a distance away from her. They must have been Fau and Ruvi, the two brothers from District 4. I slid over the side of the horn and snuck into the mouth. It was dark as night in there and I couldn't see in front of me.

"_Hello? Anyone?"_ I whispered, but no one responded, even Ketta was being silent. As I went deeper into the horn it got quieter and perfectly still. There was absolutely no light and I couldn't see at all. I reached into my pack and pulled out a small flashlight.

"_Hello?"_ I called again moving my light around the horn. My light flashed by something on the ground and I walked over to see a small pool of blood. Ketta finally slithered out and flicked his tongue at the blood. It must have been Peeta's.

Suddenly we heard a low moaning and I immediately shot my light to the end of the horn. I couldn't see anyone but I did see something. Blood, more blood. I walked slowly trying to keep it together while walking down a bloody pitch black tube. Another low groan forced me to attention and I finally saw the source of the blood. My eyes went wide and my heart felt like it was going to explode. I could feel Ketta trembling and digging deeper into my pack trying to get away. The terror was working its way up my spine paralyzing me, I could feel my breath leave my body and my eyes well with tears. In that awful sight I was only able to say a single word.

"Peeta..."

_-Cato's view-_

Errol was taking too long.

He was supposed to jump in quickly and give a report with the snake, but it had been ten minutes and nothing but silence. Gale was getting just as impatient as I was but we both knew we couldn't move. We had to wait for Errol's signal or risk ruining the whole plan.

"Was he caught?" Gale asked, starting to panic.

"No." I said less to Gale and more to myself. I had to calm down, there was no sign that the careers had moved and no cannon sounds, so everyone was still alive, for now. At once we were snapped from our thoughts when Gale and I turned to the horn and heard the most blood curdling cry in the world.

"_**CATO!"**_

It was Errol's voice.

We both jumped from the trees and ran towards the horn. We forgot everything, the plan, the careers sleeping only a few yards away and focused only on that horrible scream. We ran as fast as we could but something had already stumbled out of the horn and fell on the ground with another figure crawling out behind it. It was Errol with Peeta, or what looked like Peeta slung over his back. They were both covered in blood and Errol was crying uncontrollably. He was holding something in his hands, in the darkness I couldn't tell what it was, but it was something long and white covered in red stains, and it wasn't moving. It all happened so fast, Errol's scream, Peeta's blood covered body, Ketta's unmoving form and the sound of the careers waking up. I ran to Errol and tried to lift him up but he couldn't be moved. Gale had slung Peeta over his back and was yelling something, but I couldn't hear him.

"**Errol we have to move!"** I yelled at him. I grabbed him under the arms and forced him to his legs, but he just crumbled back to his knees. He finally looked up at me, his eyes looked empty but filled with fear at the same time. Through entire competition I had never seen Errol's eyes so filled with despair.

"**Cato! Run!"** He screamed still unable to stand. I grabbed him and put him over my shoulder running as fast as I could into the forest, but we had to leave Ketta's body behind.

It all happened so fast, but time seemed to slow down. In all the thoughts that raced through my mind while we were running one thought kept repeating.

"_What the hell is in there?" _

* * *

**Venus's Bio**

Name: Venus Tuesti

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Height: 5ft 9in

Weight: 133lbs

Birthplace: District 1

Occupation: Tribute

Weapon: Spears

**Fau's Bio**

Name: Fau Mallon

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Height: 5ft 10in

Weight: 147lbs

Birthplace: District 4

Occupation: Tribute

Weapon: Serrated Knife

**Ruvi's Bio**

Name: Ruvi Mallon

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Height: 5ft 10in

Weight: 144lbs

Birthplace: District 4

Occupation: Tribute

Weapon: Javelin


	21. Chapter 21 The Gone and Goodbye

A lot of Cato's view for now

I just don't really have the wherewithal to right Errol's yet

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 21

_-Cato's view-_

We managed to escape into the forest. Strangely the careers never chased after us, but to be honest, they didn't have to. They had destroyed us and they didn't have to lift a finger. Errol had passed out and felt like dead weight on my shoulders. I followed Gale for what seemed like miles into the woods. We just kept running, with two bloody, half dead boys slung on our backs. We eventually came to a small pond a great distance from the horn. There were a few supplies already laid out and I guessed this is where Gale had made camp before we ran into him. We carefully brought the boys to the pond and laid them near the shore. The boys were completely out and their breath was hard and ragged. We laid their heads in the water and started washing the blood off their faces. We pealed off their clothes and started washing them carefully as we could. I expected Errol to be littered with cuts but he was almost completely clean of injuries. Peeta, however was in bad shape. His body was full of wombs and I knew he wouldn't last long unattended. I gave Gale the last of the medical supplies we had, knowing he would need them more than I would.

It was the most terrible hours of our lives as we washed their bloody bodies treated their wombs and finally laid them down. Their breathing had returned to normal and Gale had taken care of the worst of Peeta's injuries. We both sat back, still trying to catch our breath after everything had happened. The plan may have fallen apart but we succeeded. Peeta was back in our hands and everyone was alive, well almost everyone. Errol's snake was gone. I can remember Errol crying and holding the snakes body, limp and cold.

"Hey." Gale said coming over to me. "I have something." He said reaching into his pack. It was a package wrapped in a large cloth. He unraveled it slowly, it was the snake. Gale placed the snake on the ground slowly and backed away. He was a live but just barely. The snake had two large puncture wombs on its side, it looked like it had been bitten by something. I moved towards him but he spit at me and refused to let me touch him.

"I grabbed him before we left." Gale said crossing his arms. The snake looked around and caught Errol's scent. It slithered slowly towards Errol but was only able to make it a few inches. I walked over to it and picked it up. The snake bit me but I didn't get angry, I knew what it wanted. I laid it on Errol's chest and the snake calmed down. It coiled around Errol's neck and seemed happy to be where it belonged. Its whole life it was treated as a weapon, its caretakers were scientist turning it into a monster, but in the last few days of its life it had a friend who only wanted to protect him. Errol had fed him, cared for him, and probably loved him. In the last few moments of its life I imagine the snake wanted to be with the person it loved most, it wanted to be with Errol.

I could empathize with that.

The snakes breath eventually slowed and it finally died. Gale walked over and gently placed it in a container lined with red cloth.

"We should bury it before he wakes up." Gale said. I looked at the snake, just lying there. It looked like it was sleeping and at any moment would wake up, but I knew it wouldn't. That snake was more of a man than I was. It never left Errol's side and had saved his life more than once, and in the very end it gave its life protecting what it loved. I dug a small hole underneath a tree and Gale placed the box into the ground, before he put the lid on I touched the snakes still warm body.

"Thank you Ketta." I said. We sealed it up and buried our greatest ally. Gale went to the river and picked a lily from the water and placed it gently on the grave. Before we left Gale stood and placed three fingers to his lips and held them out to Ketta. I guess it was his way of saying goodbye.

We returned to the camp and watched the boys for a little bit longer. After about an hour Peeta started grumbling and opened his eyes slowly. Before I could even open my mouth Gale was by his side, propping up Peeta's head. Peeta seemed confused with everything going on around him, but when he laid eyes on Gale everything seemed to come into focus. Peeta latched his arms around Gale and Gale did the same. I couldn't see exactly what they were doing but Peeta backed away from the hug for a second then came close to Gale's face, they were kissing. In front of millions Peeta had kissed Gale, and neither of them seemed to care. Now watching two guys make out did creep me out a little, but when Gale grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and pulled Peeta to the ground I quickly got up and walked away to Errol. I decided they were probably best left alone.

I sat with Errol for a bit. I brushed the hair out of his eyes and made sure he was staying warm. It was about 5 a clock and the sun was just starting to go down when Errol finally opened his eye. He looked up at me and a tear fell from his face. He remembered everything.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked trying to forget the question he really wanted to ask.

"Yeah, Peeta and Gale are fine, and happy to be together." I said running my hands through his hair.

"And Ketta?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"He's gone." I said as softly as I could. Errol took a deep, hard breath and tried to swallow back his boiling emotions. "Gale was able to bring him back. We buried him properly." I said trying to make Errol feel better, not that it was really helping. I helped Errol to his feet and brought him to Ketta's grave. Errol keeled in front of it and put his hands together in front of his face.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He didn't say anything but I could hear him mumbling something. Errol finished after a second and stood up, wiping his eyes. Errol was putting on a brave face but anyone could see how badly he was hurt. I thought about being like Peeta, just taking him and kissing him, but it seemed like too much. Before I could do anything Errol grabbed my hand and held it tight. I raised his hand to my face and kissed it, it may not have been the grand gesture I was going for, but it was a start.

"Hey." We turned when we heard Gale calling us. Gale and Peeta walked over holding hands like a normal couple. I thought it looked weird until I remembered Errol and I were doing the same thing. We all stopped and took in exactly what was going on around us. Errol and I, Gale and Peeta and it seemed to all come together in a second. I looked at Errol and before he could look at me I leaned over and planted a quick kiss. Now I use the term kiss lightly, because it was less of a kiss and more of a lip graze, but it felt damn good. I pulled back and couldn't help but think, _"That was our first kiss...we had sex and __**that**__ was our first kiss."_ Errol wasn't shocked or angry, if anything he seemed relieved, and I could hear Gale snickering in the background. I was just about to jump over and knock his head off when Errol lean over and kissed me, and it was a **kiss**. Not to get graphic, but it was a deep, good kiss that told me everything I needed to know.

"Hey Cato." Peeta said coming closer to us. It had been a while since I'd seen him but it was good to see him back on his feet. I nodded and Errol extended his hand.

"I'm Errol. I don't think we've met but its good to finally meet you." Errol said polite as always. Peeta shook his hand and the sight of them shaking hands, smiling, could have blinded the world.

"_Good lord."_ Gale said trying to hold back his smile. They both looked at us confused by our laughs.

"What?" Peeta asked.

"Nothing, just don't stand so close together. You'll make us go blind." I said, trying to hide the filthy look on my face.

That night we all sat around a fire and ate what we could. Gale and Peeta spent most of the night talking and catching up. Errol and I spent a few hours behind a tree, making sure I got the whole '_kissing men'_ thing, but I always was a quick learner. Eventually we got back together and Gale asked the most important question of the night.

"What happened in there?" Peeta and Errol went pale and quiet. They didn't want to relive what they saw, but they went on anyway.

"There was something in there." Errol said forcing his words out. "Something evil." He looked at Peeta who had spent the most time in the horn. He was starting to shake and Gale pulled him close. This seemed to calm him down but his words still came out dry and hard.

"He's right...it was something evil." Peeta said slinking deeper into Gale's embrace.

"A muttation?" Gale asked.

Errol and Peeta both shook their heads.

"It wasn't a muttation...it...it was human. It was a tribute." Errol said trying to keep himself together.

"**NO!"** Peeta screamed. **"Its not a tribute! Not anymore."** He was sweating and his shaking had only gotten worse.

"It...it's a monster."

* * *

**Sandersonia's Bio**

Name: Lee Sandersonia

Age: 44

Gender: Female

Height: 5,7

Weight: 115lbs

Birthplace: The Capitol

Occupation: Stylist

Weapon:None


	22. Chapter 22 Promised Land

_Some bright morning when this life is o'er, _

_I'll fly away; _

_To a home on God's celestial shore, _

_I'll fly away_

A lot of dialog this time around.

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 22

_-Cato's view-_

"What are you talking about?" I asked right away. Peeta refused to go on and ran from the camp sight. Gale shot me a nasty look and ran after Peeta.

"What the hell was that?" I asked confused and angry.

"Its not your fault Cato." Errol said back to his normal self. "Who knows how long Peeta was in the horn with that...thing. He probably doesn't like reliving it." Errol always made sense, and that always got on my nerves for some reason.

"Sorry." I said. "Do you know what he was talking about?" I asked still wanting information.

"I do. It was a tribute. **Was** a tribute, now I'm not sure what to call it. It was being kept in the back of the horn. The Careers had managed to seal it there." Errol said slowly loosing his composure. "When I walked in I saw Peeta lying at its feet, covered in blood. I noticed something, it was hunched over making horrible noises." Errol closed his eye, trying to block out what he had seen.

"It was eating something Cato..." He said. His voice was trembling and almost impossible to understand. I grabbed him and puled him close.

"That's enough Errol. You don't have to say anymore." I said rubbing his shoulder.

I knew what this was, it was Venus. She had found something and turned it into a weapon for her own use, but what exactly the weapon was and how she intended to use it was beyond me.

"It was eating...something. The second it spotted me it almost bit clean through my neck, but...Ketta was coiled around me and stopped it. With the last bit of strength and venom he had Ketta bit the tribute several times." Errol stopped again and I knew he was thinking of Ketta. "The venom only made it more irrational and violent, but I was able to grab Peeta." Before he could go on I stopped him.

"**That's enough Errol!"** I had to snap him out of it or risk losing him again. "We'll talk about it later." I said bringing him closer. He finally calmed down but seemed so exhausted. We both crawled into a sleeping bag and he fell asleep in a few seconds. I got up and went looking for Gale, I didn't like leaving Errol at a time like this but Gale and I needed to talk.

I found him putting Peeta to bed and I knew Gale wanted to leave Peeta even less than I wanted to leave Errol. Gale was sitting next to Peeta and it sounded like he was singing.

"_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you." _

Gale's deep voice made every note strong and meaningful, and I even waited behind a tree to let him finish.

"_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash all away."_

Gale finished his song and Peeta fell asleep. I appeared from behind the tree and motioned Gale to follow me.

"You're one hell of a singer." I said genuinely impressed with him. Gale chuckled.

"Thanks, I've been singing to him for a while." Gale admitted. "It's an old song I sang to my brothers and sisters to help them fall asleep. Peeta likes it too." Gale said smiling. Gale's lullaby made me think about the songs I knew. They were mostly band songs that we heard on the radio. Things like lullabies were not something people sang in District 2.

"You should try singing to Errol sometime." Gale said. I just laughed.

"I'm not a singer." I said plainly.

"You don't need to be. Errol's going to like it as long as you say something meaningful." Gale said. In all honesty I actually thought about it, but pushed it aside when I realized what I needed to be doing.

"Did Peeta tell you anything else about what happened?" I asked trying to get to the point. Gale didn't like me talking about it but he knew we had to.

"No." He sighed. "He's still too out of it right now, but he did say something about a tribute." I thought for a second, trying to put all the pieces together.

"Like Errol and Peeta said, its a defeated tribute. It was probably forced into madness from the games and captured by the careers. Think of it like a vicious uncontrollable guard dog, except with the ability to think and fight like a human." I said figuring it out.

"How did a tribute get turned into that?" Gale asked not believing me.

"Watching dozens of people dying around you and fearing for your life every second while a group of game makers play god, that could drive anyone crazy. It was probably already gone when it stumbled on the careers. It attacked them and would explain why the boys from district 4 were injured." It all started coming together.

"But what about the girl? She didn't have scratch on her." Gale asked still unsure about the whole story.

"That makes the most sense. It probably defeated the boys and went for Venus, and Venus tore it apart."

"So why not kill it?" Gale asked.

"I don't think she's a wasteful person. She locked it up in the horn and used it to keep Peeta and the others in check after I abandoned the group." I said to Gale, who was looking less confused and more concerned.

"So how do we stop it?"

Gale and I both turned and saw Peeta and Errol standing a few feet from us. They both looked ragged from lack of sleep, but had a determination that told me I couldn't make them go back to bed.

"Peeta you should be asleep." Gale said walking towards him.

"I'm fine!" Peeta yelled. Errol touched Peeta's shoulder and tried to calm him down. "We need to end this guys. There's only a handful of us left now." Errol said. I knew what he was thinking, he really did want this to end, he was ready to die. I just looked at him, standing in front of me. All the words had been said, and the feeling had been felt and all the passion had cooled into love. I could understand why he would be ready, but I wasn't, and then there was Gale and Peeta. Gale was taken care of but I had no idea what Peeta would do after it was all over.

"Things are starting to wind down. Venus will start coming after us, and she'll bring her monster with her." I started.

"Gale and I are the only two who will stand a chance against Venus, and she's likely to have her beast with her as a guard. Errol and Peeta will have to handle the two boys from district 4." I could see the worried look on Errol's face.

"I don't know...without Ketta..." He trailed off. I went over to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I know you can Errol. You're stronger then you think." I said trying to raise his confidence, but I knew what was going to happen, and hopefully Errol would know what to do when it was over. As soon as we finished talking the sun rose, but it rose about five hours too early.

"The gamemakers are getting impatient, looks like the whole world is ready for this game to be over." Errol said looking at the sky.

"I guess so." Peeta agreed.

"Guys wait." Errol said stopping us. He made us gather in a circle and reached for his pack. "I want you to have these, in case something happens." Errol reached into his pack and pulled out a small white orb.

"What is that?" Peeta asked taking the orb from Errol's hand. He touched it softly and felt its smooth surfaces.

"It's an egg." I said looking at it. Errol reached into his pack again and puled out more eggs. There were four in all. "Where did you get these?" I asked taking one. It was heavy and larger than a normal egg.

"They were Ketta's." Errol said cradling the other eggs in his arms. We all stopped and looked at him.

"What?" I asked. Errol smiled, he went around to all of us and placed an egg in our hands.

"Keep them safe." Errol said his eyes getting misty.

We all held the eggs for a second. Taking in their whole meaning. I never even knew Ketta was a female, Errol probably didn't know either. I didn't know when he got them but I figured it wasn't a good idea to ask. I wrapped the egg in Errol's scarf and put it in my pack, Gale and Peeta did the same.

"Gather the supplies, we head out in twenty minutes." I told everyone, and they all moved, even Gale. It may have been a touching moment but we had to start moving, everyone knew that I was the only person who could lead them, and they trusted me completely. After exactly twenty minutes the guys were ready and we left the camp site.

Like magic everyone fell into position and we moved quickly through the forest. Gale and Errol flew into the treetops and Peeta and I stayed on the ground, making sure Errol and Gale took the lead. We would stop every few seconds to get the all clear signal from Errol and Gale. Even with Errol's vision being cut in half he could see for miles in any direction, and Gales senses only seemed sharper in the forest. Suddenly Errol stopped and Gale continued on slowly. We were right in front of a field full of flowers, it may have been beautiful if it wasn't for something standing in the middle. Errol climbed down and gave the signal that meant a tribute was spotted. Gale summoned us to the tree and we all climbed to the top, except for Peeta who had to be helped by Errol. We climbed to the top and I immediately realized who it was. It was a girl surrounded by flowers. She was tall with pale skin and long flowing brown hair. She seemed to glow in the sunlight and flowers, but most striking of all was the twelve spears that were surrounding her, all pierced into the ground. She was just standing there, her eyes closed.

"_Venus."_ I said in a low growl. She knew we would be coming this was, she was waiting for us. Errol went forward and make a branch creak just a little too loud. In half an instant Venus had turned, plucked a spear from the ground and threw it at Errol, not blinking an eye. The spear flew at us incredibly fast but Errol closed his eye and dodged back just missing the spear by less than and inch. The spear lodged into the tree and we all jumped into the field. We landed and were forced to dodge three more spears flying at us fast as bullets. Errol grabbed Peeta and jumped back, while I slashed two away with my sword.

Venus opened her eyes slowly and smiled.

"_Welcome brothers."_ She said almost happy to see us. She grabbed a spear and pointed it at us.

"_Let me send you home."_ Venus said grabbing two more spears and charging at myself and Gale.

* * *

I really want to make Venus a unique character. We've seen the cruel Topaz, the clever Kuja but Venus is a whole new beast.


	23. Chapter 23 The Glass House

Goodbye Errol, my friend.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 24

_-Cato's view-_

"_Cato what do you think happiness looks like?" _Errol said in a weak voice. We had just come from school and Errol was still shaken up from his latest run in with the bullies. I was putting ice on his bruises when he asked me.

"_Happiness is what we make of it. It doesn't have a form."_ I said sitting next to him. Errol looked at his hands folded in his lap. I could tell he was thinking hard about something, he always folded his fingers in an odd way whenever he was thinking.

"_I think happiness is like glass."_ He said looking at me. I looked at him for a moment trying to figure out what he mean, but a loud horn rang out and it was the signal for Errol to go to work. Errol never spoke about it again and I never gave it much thought, but looking back I understand what Errol meant. Glass is something all around us, always there and always known, but rarely given any attention. So in a way it is very much similar to happiness. People live their lives looking for happiness, always seeking it like it is some enormous glowing sun, but happiness is always around. Like the hidden glass it need only be looked at from another angle and it would sparkle like the dawn.

Errol was right, as usual.

I had never been a person who is constantly looking for happiness, I always had it next to me, but I never needed to look at it in a special angle, because Errol's light was always clear as day to me.

But for the moment Venus seemed to be the most important thing to us.

She was a monster. She would pick her spears and toss them at us like bullets, getting close to her was almost impossible. Gale took to firing a few arrows but she was able to deflect them and launch her attack all in the same move. I remember watching her in the training room. People would mostly ignore her but I could see her potential, I could see what was just bubbling under the surface. When Peeta had spotted Errol following our group I knew she had senses Errol hours earlier. She knew where he had made camp, and she knew when Topaz had been killed the second the cannon went off. I was able to dodge her attack and went up close, but I was quickly forced back when she grabbed one of her spears and twisted around it kicking out my side. I fell to the ground and she raised a spear over my head.

"No you don't!" Errol came to my side and punched at Venus's side, she managed to jump back and kick him in the chin before he could get too close. I grabbed Errol by the waist and ran back to Gale. He was standing in front of Peeta still shooting arrows, but not hitting a single time.

"Damn it. This is impossible! How can she be this fast?" Gale asked still trying to hit her. Venus had stopped trying to deflect Gales arrows and took to dodging them. She seemed to float around the field, kicking up flower petals with every step. Every arrow she dodged was like a dance, and the flower field was a giant stage.

Gale finally stopped firing, deciding it was best to save what few arrows he had left. It was a standstill. For a second we just stared at each other. I was out of breath, Errol was rubbing his jaw, Gale was tending to his bleeding fingers from the bow string, and Peeta...Well he hadn't actually done anything yet, but all my attention was fixed on Venus and how she didn't seemed tired in the least.

"_Brothers. Why do you fight this fight?"_ She said in a wispy voice. _"So many of us have already been sent home, so please stop fighting brothers. Our family misses you." _

"What are you talking about?" Errol yelled.

"_This place, this fight, its all a chance to free us from this world." She said with a small smile. "So many of out brother and sisters are with god now, don't you want to be with him as well?" _She said extending her hand. "_I offer salvation, let us be free of our sin and see tomorrow with god." _Her words were gentle, but so powerful.

"Then take yourself to hell and leave us alone!" Peeta said charging at her. Gale and I tried to stop him but he slipped past us and ran towards Venus with Errol's knife. She simply smiled at him and kicked him in the head before he could get to close. He fell at her feet and she raised a spear above his head.

"_I am the Shepard who watches the souls of the world. I am charged to remain in the world and send my family home. Now...I must take you home little brother. Father waits for no one." _Venus raised a spear and nearly brought it down on Peeta's head when I kicked her back and Errol dragged Peeta away. It was the first hit we landed on her but she hardly seemed bothered by it. I knew this is how it would go. Venus wouldn't be taken down unless we were prepared to die. I was, Errol was, but I doubted Gale and Peeta were. They had things to live for, Errol and I didn't. I managed to dodged another of her spears and ran to Gale.

"Its time." I said with a low voice. Gale seemed surprised, but understood.

"We don't have to do this." He said with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"Gale...please." I said looking at him. He could hear the desperation in my voice and nodded slowly. He grabbed his bow and backed up to Errol and Peeta. I ran towards Venus and drew my sword.

_-Errol's view-_

Peeta was still out of it but was slowly waking up. Gale appeared at my side just as Cato ran towards Venus. He drew his sword and began clashing with her on equal ground. I had never seen Cato move like he did, he seemed to strong, so fast, so free. Venus was forced to go on the offensive and began fighting with less grace, but she only seemed to get stronger. She managed to stab Cato in the shoulder but he was able to cut her across the chest. He jumped back and waited with us. Gale dashed forward and took Cato's place holding back Venus.

"Errol you need to go with Gale!" He said forcing me to my feet. My eyes went wide refusing to listen to him.

"No I'm not leaving you need our help." I said reading my self to fight. Gale came running back with several cuts, with Venus following close behind.

"Gale!" Cato screamed. Gale reacted immediately. He wrestled away my knifes and threw them to Peeta who had back on his feet. Gale lifted me over his shoulder and began running for the woods.

"**Cato!" **I screamed trying to force my way out of Gales hold. "Wait! Gale put me down!" Cato looked back at me one last time. His eyes seemed empty and sad, but he stood with the confidence of the man I had always known. He smiled at me and with tears welling in his eyes he finally said those cursed words.

"_**Errol...I love you!"**_ He yelled and went back to Venus.

I just stared at him. Lost in his words. I wished he hadn't said it, I pleaded with myself that I misheard, but Cato had said those dangerous words to me. In the last moments before we vanished into the woods all my feeling for Cato rushed through me like a violent flood. I screamed for him over and over and held out my hand hoping he would see it, hoping he would take it. Hoping that those words he said to me wouldn't be his last.

_-Cato's view-_

People were always talking about how I feel.

"_How do you feel? Lead with feeling."_

Talking over complete bullshit. I never led by feeling, I never let my heart take me and pull me forward. District 2 taught me to think! Not to Feel! People asked me how I felt, they should have been asking me what I damn well think, what I know!

I know I love Errol, and I would protect him until the end. He knew that. Errol never asked me about my feelings, he knew what I was and how I thought. I didn't chose that man because of his heart, I chose him because of his mind. More than anyone I had ever known Errol could understand me so well. He didn't judge me, he didn't expect of me, he simply understood. He didn't do it by opening my heart and looking inside, or making assumptions about who I was, he did it by watching and listening, and by seeing what was in front of him and taking note.

"_Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become habits. Watch your habits for they become character. Watch your character for they become destiny." _My father had told me that for years. He told me that a man was made so easily based on those steps alone.

So I started it in my thoughts _"I love this kid."_

It came out of my mouth. _"I love you Errol."_

It came from my actions, holding him close.

It came from my habit, protecting him always.

It came from my character, giving up on winning the games.

It became my fate, to give my life for his.

I knew what Errol thought. He didn't hide his thoughts well, but he never had to. He didn't need secrets or words to express what he believed or knew, yet portrayed them so well in every action, in every movement I felt I could understand him so absolutely. He planned to do the same for me, as I would do for him, but I would beat him to the punch every time.

As I fought Venus, I knew my life would be coming to an end very soon. I would kill this woman and Gale would kill the boys from District 4, and as I died Errol would give into every emotion and feeling he had. I wanted so dearly to tell him not to, I wanted him to understand my last thoughts so he could go forward absent of me.

As Venus threw another spear, content on ending my life I knew she would come with me. This woman, so full of grace would come with me. She would be gone and Errol would live on, yes...that was the plan. She would stab me in the arm, I would cut her across the leg. We would spend the last moments of our lives destroying each other, reducing our bodies to dust. Gale came to my side and fought her as well, but one word from me told Gale what I was thinking, Gale knew my thoughts and fled the scene, taking Errol and Peeta with him. Errol's screams seemed to fade away into the background, I could hear his pleas for me to come with them, and his pleas for Gale to let him go.

It all seemed to happen so quickly. The feeling of my body going heavy, the feeling of Venus's spears lodging into my chest, and the feeling of my sword piercing her body. So many feelings, so many things I detested. We fell to the ground, and I was left thinking how unsatisfied it all was. I was able to tell Errol I love him, but he already knew.

I knew he knew, because as much as I liked to believe that I was able to hide my thoughts and feelings from the world, Errol was always able to see me so clearly, and that...somehow made me feel very satisfied. From her position on the ground I could hear Venus speak.

"_Any last words?"_ Her voice was weak, but seemed to echo around the entire world.

"**None!" **I said with all the strength I could muster. She seemed amused by the response.

"_You've lived such a sad life. Did you ever love any of them? Your friends, your family. Your lover?"_ She spoke as if she knew anything.

"My lover?" I said.

"_Are there no parting words you would leave him? When he sees your face light up on that screen."_ I quickly cut her off.

"Don't let foolish words like _'Love'_ or _'sad'_ leave your mouth witch." I said choking up a bit of blood.

"Remember who I am. I chose that man." I said with surprising strength. Venus seemed shocked by my tone and didn't speak again.

"I am a champion. My relationship with him requires no _'Last words'_. That is how things are between partners of District 2!" I said firm. This woman had no right to know about the thoughts between Errol and I. She didn't deserve to know how warm and bright Errol made me feel. More feelings...It almost seemed instinctual.

I had heard before that, one realized what kind of person they were in the moments before their death. A loud cannon fired, and I knew Venus was dead. I wondered what kind of woman she was in the last few seconds of her life, what thoughts did she part with and what feelings did she leave behind. I could feel my heart slow and I knew I didn't have time to waste my thoughts. So in the last few seconds I answered the questions I knew needed to be answered.

Did you love him? _Yes._

Did he love you? _Yes, I believe he did._

Would you have told the world? _Yes I would have._

Would you have married him? _Of course._

If you had children what would you name them? _Mako if it was a boy, Erica if it was a girl._

Would you have stayed with him for the rest of your life? _Yes._

When did you fall in love with him? _The day I first saw him._

Would you have sang to him?_ Yes, even if I was no good at it. _

Would you have made love again?_ Yes, and this time I would do it right._

Are you sure you have no last words for him?

And this made me pause for a moment. I thought, wondering if I really did have anything to say to him. I closed my eyes and considered the last thing I would ever think in this world.

"_Errol...do you remember...?" _

My thoughts were cut short as a cannon fired, and a loud rumbling sounded out. I could feel something grab my waist and pull me up. _"I'm already dead?"_ I thought, and light overtook me as I was pulled into the hovercraft.

* * *

_Place a beehive on my grave and let the honey soak through,_

_ when I'm dead and gone that's what I want from you. _

_The streets of heaven and gold and sunny, _

_but I'll stick with my plot and a pot of honey. _

_Place a beehive on my grave and let the honey soak through..._


	24. Chapter 24 Infinity

_Round _

_Like a circle in a spiral,_

_Like a wheel within a wheel,_

_Never ending or beginning_

_On an ever-spinning reel._

_Like a snowball down a mountain_

_Or a carnival balloon,_

_Like a carousel that's turning_

_Running rings around the moon._

_Like a clock whose hands are sweeping_

_Past the minutes on its face,_

_And the world is like an apple_

_Whirling silently in space._

_Like the circles that you find_

_In the pinwheels of your mind._

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 24

_-Errol's view-_

We dream about the things we want far too often. People try and find meaning in things like past memories and promises of tomorrow, but for someone who is not guaranteed a tomorrow and who's past had become irrelevant, the now is all we have time for, but the now was something I did not want to deal with.

**Now** was full of sadness.

**Now** had the sound of cannons.

**Now** had the feelings of crippling loss, but more than anything **Now** didn't have Cato.

For me, Cato didn't exist in the present or in the future, he lived in the past, and that is the only place I wanted to be. So as Gale carried me off, I closed my eye and tried to think of the past, the only place where I could ever be happy. I sorted through all the memories and thoughts surrounding Cato, but despite my wanting to remember the times of romance and passion I could only think of the beginning.

I came running into my house, tired but wide eyed and full of excitement. Dad was already home, he had finished his deliveries early and was resting before he had to head into the mines. Mom had just died, so dad was working extra hard, half trying to support us, half trying to bury his memories of mom.

"Daddy! Crazy stuff today!" I said full of the raw energy of a six year old. He looked at me with tired eyes but a genuine smile.

"Crazy stuff?" He asked, amused by his energetic son. I ran over to him and sat on the table next to him.

"Yeah Daddy, it was at school. I saw something so beautiful!" I said barely containing myself.

"Beautiful?" He said surprised. He smirked, "A girl?" He said somewhat hopeful.

"No daddy no!" I quickly disagreed with him. "It was an angel!" I said with stars in my eyes.

"_An angel?"_ Dad said pretending to be confused.

"Yeah! It was an angel on the playground! I was getting picked on by these mean kids and when they shoved me on the ground someone stopped them!" I said trying to remember every detail for dad. "He was standing on the jungle gym in front of us. As soon as the bullies saw him they ran off, and daddy, he reached out to me and picked me up! It was an angel. He was tall and pretty with a halo! A halo daddy!" In retrospect, Cato probably didn't have a halo, I guess it was just the light coming off his blonde hair.

"Daddy, he was the most beautiful person I had ever seen." I said in a dreamy haze. Dad didn't respond right away. He thought for a moment, making sure he had heard everything correctly.

"Who was the boy?" Dad asked, probably wanting to know more.

"I don't know." I said plainly. "But daddy it wasn't a boy! It was an angel!" I said again. Dad didn't say anything more about it, but thinking back I'm glad he didn't. Eventually I told dad who it was. When he heard Cato's full name he started acting strange, like he already knew it, but he never said anything else about it.

Suddenly my memories started to disappear, leaving me in a sparsely decorated room, with high ceilings and a large window that went from the floor to the celling. It was the room at the District 2 justice building, the one where I had said my last goodbyes. I got up and looked out the window, expecting to see my old home stretching out over the horizon, but there was nothing. I walked back to my seat and sat quietly.

"_You look better with short hair." _Cato said to me.

I looked over and saw him sitting at the end of the couch, with nary a care in the world.

"Of course you think that, you did it." I said not really reacting to my hallucination. He smirked and got a drink from the cart.

"_You want anything?"_ He asked poring some brown liquid into a crystal glass.

"You know I can't handle any of that." I said looking away from him. He walked back over to me and put a glass over my face.

"_Just a quick one."_ He said smiling. I took it but didn't drink any of it. _"So...how's tricks?"_ He asked with a cocky grin. I laughed.

"Tricks are for kids." I said taking a sip of the drink, it was awful and I put it back down immediately. The clock chimed loudly and we both looked at it.

"_12 a clock already?"_ Cato said putting down his drink. _"Time to get going I guess."_ He got up and walked over to get his jacket on the chair across from us. I walked to him and helped him put it on.

"Its cold today." I said as firm as I could. "Wear your scarf." He smiled at me and pulled my red scarf from out of nowhere.

"_This should keep me plenty warm." _He handed me the scarf and as I tied it around his neck I could feel my tears streaming down my face. I looked up at him and he was still smiling. _"Keep it together."_ He said looking at me with those big blue eyes. He led me to the large double doors and opened it slowly. There was a long dark hallway with seemingly no end.

"Goodbye Errol." He said leaning down and kissing me. He started down the hall and I started to fall apart.

"Wai...wait Cato!" I called from the door.

"_Keep it together!" _He called without looking back.

"Yes...Keep it together." I said out loud to myself. He kept walking down the hall and his figure got hazier and hazier.

"**Cato, no come back!"** I yelled to him. This time he didn't turn or say anything, he just kept walking.

"**No Cato! I can't go alone!"** I called louder. He kept walking and had almost completely vanished.

"**Cato please! I don't know what to do. Please help me!" **No matter how hard I begged, Cato kept walking and eventually he faded into the darkness. Everything became dark and cold, my eyes felt heavy and the room spun out of existence as I opened my eyes.

I woke up and found I was laying on the forest floor. Birds were chirping and the sun was streaming right onto my face. My body was stiff, but undamaged. I tried to push the horrible dream out of my head and heard people talking a few feet away. I walked over quietly and saw Gale and Peeta. They were talking about something, but either I was blocking them out or just couldn't hear them. Gale caught sight of me and got up.

"Errol. Are you okay?" He asked coming closer. I looked around the camp but couldn't see Cato.

"Where'd Cato go?" I asked. Gale stopped and looked at Peeta. Peeta looked at me then looked down.

"Gale...Where's Cato?" I asked growing impatient.

"Errol he's..." Gale trailed off. It all started coming back, the field of flowers, Venus, Gale taking me from the forest, and the sound of the cannons.

"You left him." I said plainly.

"Errol, he made me." Before he could say another word I grabbed a knife hidden in my sleeve and slashed him across the face. I missed his eyes but it made a long line going right above his nose.

"**You son of a bitch!"** I screamed, losing myself in complete anger. Gale reached to cover his face and I drew my knife back ready to cut him again. Peeta grabbed me and forced the knife from my hand before I could do any worse. Gale and I screamed horrible things at each other, and I knew he was fighting the urge to kill me, but I wouldn't care if he did. I'd welcome death if it meant seeing Cato sooner. Peeta kept a tight hold on me but I managed to break my arm free and elbow him in the stomach. Peeta fell to the ground and I flipped back before Gale could grab me. I turned and ran as fast as I could. I ran from the campsite and from Gale trying to call me back. I didn't want to stay with the group anymore, it was all over anyway.

I ran for what seemed like hours. I could feel the blisters on my feet but I ignored it anyway. I could never outsmart Cato, he would always be two steps ahead of me. He never intended to win the games, he was keeping me alive until one of two things were to happen. Either he would give his life for mine if we ran into a stronger enemy or he would kill himself if we were the last two left. Then it all started coming together. Gale and Peeta. Gale must have made a deal with Cato. Gale protects me, and Cato protects Peeta. And in the end they would kill themselves to protect us. I was a fool, all along. For all my planning and hoping Cato hoped and planned even better. He took himself from the equation and now I was left alone.

I was alone, and I would die alone.

He broke his promise to me. I asked him to do one thing in the end and he breaks his promise. I asked him to stay with me when I died. Now what? Now I would be killed and my last moments would be spend on the dirt, alone and cold. No Cato to keep me warm or to see me off.

I would never see that boy again, the boy who was my angel and who protected me.

I would never hear his voice again, which was strong and deep.

I would never smell his scent again, which was a mix of steel and honey.

I would never feel him wrap his arms around me, which were so strong and warm.

His kiss, his eyes, his laugh, and his love. All of it was just a memory now. It created a mix inside me, an awful mix of pain and anguish. All my rage, fear, sadness, loss, pain and...love, it all mixed inside me. I stopped running and stood still. As my emotions mixed I could feel them poisoning my body, destroying me over and over. I no longer felt anything, yet only one thing remained inside me. The emotions had merged and twisted and created something that would kill me faster than any tribute or game maker.

It created Despair.

I writhed on the ground loosing my grip on reality. Visions of Cato came flooding into my head making me cry out for him. I tried to close my eyes and block it all out but my memories couldn't be contained any longer. I wanted Cato. My whole body was rejecting the world without him, it didn't want to live in a world where I could never see him again. I screamed and begged for someone to bring me Cato, but no one called back. I begged and begged and begged for someone, anyone to help me. My throat burned from my screams and my body felt like it was a burning pile of dust. I grabbed my knife and pressed it to my throat, finally content to follow Cato, when a low beeping drew my attention.

I looked up and saw a parachute falling from the sky. I looked at it as it wafted down and noticed something odd. It wasn't a normal silver parachute, it was pitch black. I had never seen a black parachute in the games before so I scrambled for it as quickly as I could. It was carrying a large container so I opened it carefully, unsure of what the game makers might have put in there. Inside was, what looked like, a helmet. It was silver with a visor that went over the eyes and left the lower half of the face exposed. Inside it was a small piece of paper folded neatly into a square. I pulled it out and red it carefully,

"_Follow us, and see him again,"_ Were the only words written.

I put the paper away and slipped the helmet on and saw that it was dark as night. I couldn't see anything, how did they expect me to use it? Suddenly the inside of the helmet lit up and a blurry image appeared all around, like the entire inside of the helmet was a screen. The picture was blurry for a moment but finally came into focus. It showed a video of two people in a forest, fighting, running, sleeping and being close. I wondered why the gamemakers would send me this, until I saw who the people were.

It was Cato and I.

My eyes immediately started poring out tears and I wanted to rip off the helmet and smash it on the ground, but as I watched the scenes of us, happy and full of life, I found myself clutching the helmet tighter to my head. The gamemakers had given me salvation. My pleas and prayers had given me Cato, even if he was just a collection of pixels and audio he was here, in front of me.

"_Cato."_ I whispered smiling. I could feel the world melting away as I watched the screen, my despair and fear crumbled and left me only the hollow joy that the images brought. The games vanished and all things became irrelevant. I had Cato back, and nothing mattered anymore.

Not even when my mind started to fade and, my arms and legs started moving on their own.

* * *

_Like a circle in a spiral_

_Like a wheel within a wheel_

_Never ending or beginning_

_On an ever-spinning reel._

_As the images unwind_

_Like the circles that you find_

_In the pinwheels of your mind._


	25. Chapter 25 Fleeing Snake

_Control_ yourself

And

Have _Faith_.

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

* * *

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 25

_-Gales view-_

We were defeated. In one fell swoop the Games were reduced to a slaughter leaving only Peeta and I left. With Errol and Cato gone everything seemed empty and strange, like the world around me wasn't real. Peeta was dabbing my face with a wet rag, trying to clean the cut Errol had given my only a few minutes earlier. The cut was just below my eye and if Errol had just cut a bit higher I would probably be blind. After he cut me it took everything I had not to rip off his head, but when he escaped and ran into the forest I immediately started feeling regrets.

We should have known this would happen. Cato and I left far too much up to Errol and Peeta. We wanted to play hero and bravely sacrifice ourselves to save the people we loved, but we were wrong. Errol and Peeta probably thought we were idiots for throwing away something they tried so hard to protect, and their must have been others. People that love Cato and I. Our families, mom...dad

...Katniss.

**"Gale!"**

I turned and saw Peeta standing over me. My face was burning and I knew I had been crying. I looked up at Peeta expecting to see disgust, disappointment, but Peeta wasn't like that, he just looked at me with a face that seemed to understand everything. He sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. Peeta was probably a good 5 inches shorter than me but I didn't feel odd being held by him. Peeta was an odd kind of person, someone that could create a world from nothing. A type of person with a heart larger than his mind. That's probably the reason I warmed to Errol so quickly, he just reminded me of Peeta.

"Cato and I...we failed Peeta. We tried to control the games and pay a toll for keeping you boys alive, but we didn't have anything worth giving up, not even our lives." I said looking down, my eyes closed in the shame.

"Yeah...yeah you did." Peeta said rubbing my arm. He said it without an ounce of anger or sarcasm. If anything he sounded amused.

"We could spend the whole day talking about what you two did, but get us much would it?" He said plainly. I just nodded.

"Its not over Gale. It's not nearly over!" Peeta said coming to my front. "We need to find him. We need to find Errol!" Peeta was shouting at me, and I knew he was right. Errol and Peeta were all that was left of my plan with Cato. I didn't know what I would do after it was over. What would happen when it was just the three of us left? Peeta got up and went towards the river, gathering up our things. He was always in a rush. Peeta suddenly stood and seemed frozen in place, with a mask of horror plastered on his face. I couldn't tell what he was so in shock about until I heard it. The birds stopped chirping, the wind stopped blowing and the world went silent for the sound of a cannon.

**"No...no! no! Gale!"** Peeta yelled. I was two steps ahead of him. I gather my bow and tossed him a knife and we dashed towards the sound of the cannon. We didn't even bother bringing our food or water, in those moments of the cannon, our lives became irrelevant.

Another cannon rang out and our shock gave way to confusion. Two cannons meant two dead people, and they were separate kills. Maybe Venus's beast had killed the boys from district 4. Either way we were able to follow the sound of the cannons again and were coming up on what we remembered was the field of the cornucopia. We stopped and when we saw it. A boy with dark hair, lying on the ground...bloody and still.

Peeta immediately flew to his side and turned him over trying to see if he was still alive.

"Gale!" Peeta called. I ran towards them and saw what Peeta was so surprised about. I came close, not wanting to look but when I looked down I didn't see Errol. It was one of the boys from district 4.

"The boy from 4? So...wheres Errol?" I asked confused.

"There were two cannons, we need to find the other one and get out of here." Peeta quickly warned. A scream forced us to turn. It was a cry for help coming from behind the horn. Peeta and I were forced to leave the boy and run around the horn. We were stopped again by another body. It was even more torn up than the last one, but I didn't recognize him at all.

"Who is this?" I asked crouching down to look at his face. It was a young man a bit younger than me. His face was full of deep cuts and blood, he was also contorted in a face of rage and pain.

"Its...its that monster." Peeta said, his eyes glued on the dead boy.

"The thing that was in the horn?" I asked backing away from the body. Peeta nodded his head quickly. I could tell he was fighting back tears and trying not to have a complete breakdown. I went to him and tried to calm him down, but something quickly occurred to me.

"Wait...if these two are dead. Who killed them?" Peeta asked slowly regaining his senses. Another scream rang out and we remembered why we followed the sound here.

We ran behind the horn and saw a figure standing over the other boy from district 4. The boy was bloody and nearly dead and the figure was holding a knife high in the air.

**"Errol!"** I screamed immediately recognizing him. He turned to us for a second and I saw a large silvery helmet firmly attached to his head. It could see a few lights flickering off the top of it and how every time it lit up Errol would twitch and react strangely. He looked at us for only a few seconds and turned his attention to the boy. His helmet lit up and he raised a knife high in the air and exposed the boys neck.

"Errol no!" Peeta screamed trying to run towards him. That thing...that helmet. I didn't know how but it was making Errol do these horrible things. Killing these boys...at this point he would have gladly accepted death. He would never heartlessly cut down people he could have saved. That damn thing was turning Errol into a weapon. I loaded my bow and aimed it at the crown of the helmet. If I hit it just right I could damage it, or at the very least...

Put Errol out of his misery.

I released the string and shot more perfectly than I ever had before. The arrow flew like a lighting bolt. It whizzed past Peeta and before Errol could even react to the arrow it hit him square on the head. Errol was knocked back but the arrow bounced off his helmet. My arrow didn't pierce him but I knew it threw that helmet for a loop. Errol twitched for a second and a few sparks came flying from his helmet. He was like a machine with a bug in its system, trying to reboot and start again. We waited, wondering what Errol would do. That thing was controlling him, but maybe we had knocked a screw loose. Errol fidgeted for a second when a loud screeching noise started ringing from the helmet. The noise quickly receded and Errol stood upright, his helmet repaired.

He released the boy and started walking towards us. Peeta came back to me and I could tell he wanted to help the boy, but if Errol hadn't already killed him he would be dead soon. I held Peeta's hand and shook my head. In one move Errol dashed towards us in the blink of an eye.

_"If they tell me that after this fight I can live on..."_

A strange electronic voice broke out over the battlefield. It seemed broken and heavily synthesized but it was a voice. Errol paid it no mind and kept charging at us, his claws still bare and ready to strike us down.

_"I'll go and buy a small mirror somewhere...and practice smiling..."_

The voice came out again, still scrambled but the words were clear. I couldn't place the voice and I couldn't give it much attention. Errol rushed at my side with his knife and slashed me along my side. I reached down to grab him, but as soon as I gabbed his collar he sliced my arms several time and made me release him.

_"I'll practice over and over...so when he looks down at me...he'll know I'm still happy."_

The voice cut through our battle again. It may have been heavy and scrambled but I could finally hear it. I could hear sadness in that voice. I remembered that sadness, I remember that voice filled with joy and a warm life.

It was Errol's voice.

**"Errol!"** I yelled. Trying to get him to respond. Whenever the voice rang out his mouth wouldn't move. Something else was speaking for Errol. I knew he was still inside there somewhere. That helmet couldn't control him so completely after all. Deep down Errol was still there, asleep perhaps, dreaming maybe.

"We can hear it Errol! We can hear your voice!" Peeta screamed. Peeta tried running towards Errol but I grabbed him and tossed Peeta back, knowing if he just charged in Errol would kill him easily.

_"If they tell me I can live on without fighting anymore...I'll let my hair sway in the breeze, take a giant step onto the Earth...and go see him..."_

Errol's voice seemed so sad and painful. He was remembering the things he lost, the things he loved, and the dreams of leaving the arena and starting over.

_"I want to live...to give my thanks. I want to live...to give so many feelings to people. Dad...Mom...Jessup...Reed...Bacchus...Gale...Peeta...even you Cato."_

Errol's voice could have broken anyone's heart. A boy once so full of life was reduced to a husk of memories.

"But you can Errol! You can live on!" Peeta yelled still trying to awake Errol. Peeta would listen to me. Errol couldn't be awakened by words alone, but Peeta kept trying.

_"I want to live...I wish I didn't have feeling like this!"_

Errol's voice came out more powerful this time. It was strong and becoming clearer, and in that clarity I knew I could hear him crying. Errol had wanted to live all along. He tried so desperately to sacrifice himself for Cato but all alone he wanted to live. He wanted to live with the people he loved, but he couldn't so he sealed his true desire away. He hid it so deep only those sleeping thought could stir it to the surface.

"Don't be afraid to move forward Errol! You can go home! Gale and I, We'll send you home!" Peeta screamed again. I knew what Peeta meant. He wanted Errol to live. There was no way out, only one of us would survive, and he wanted the two of us to sacrifice ourselves for Errol. I didn't feel sad, or angry or disappointed. I wasn't ready to die, but if my death meant that someone like Errol could live on I felt somewhat at peace.

_"Please tell them how much I love them all."_ Errol's voice went soft again, but almost all the static was gone.

Errol dashed at me and we started clashing, him with his knives and me swinging my bow like a club. Peeta came up on Errol's side and kicked him away. Errol grabbed his leg and slashed it several times, eliciting a scream from Peeta, but before Errol could jump back Peeta grabbed him from his arm and pulled him into a choke hold. Errol immediately started slashing Peeta's arms, trying to free himself. I saw my chance and grabbed my bow. I ran towards them but Errol flipped back and forced his way out of Peeta's hold. Errol charged at me and tossed three of his knives at my head. I fell back but he kicked me to the side and forced my on the ground. In one fluid motion he caught a knife, and slashed it towards my neck, he never reached it because Peeta grabbed my bow before it hit the ground and slammed it into the side of Errol's face.

A sickening crack sounded as my bow snapped in half and a large chunk of Errol's helmet was torn away. Sparks flew and smoke came from the now ruined helmet and Errol clutched his head, howling in pain. No not pain, it was agony...despair.

_-Errol's view-_

It all started to fall away. The lights, the sounds, it fizzled and popped at the machine broke to pieces. The images of Cato laughing, walking with me, holding me had all begun to vanish. The screen flickered and tried to hold the image, but it was no use. It was all so surreal, like a dream that wasn't mine, but one I so desperately wanted to stay in. In that dream Cato was in front of me, he was real to me, but now there was nothing.

No color, no scent, no taste or words. It had all melted away.

I clutched my head and started screaming. Cato's image was flickering away, just like the rest of him. I could remember hearing voices calling to me, but I had ignored them for Cato. I wanted him, I needed him, something inside me didn't want to live in the world absent of Cato. The left side of my helmet was been torn away and my only good eye could see out of the hole. My vision was still hazy and even thought the helmet was gone the flashes of videos still played in my head.

_**"Cato! Wait no! Please come back!"**_ I screamed. Not sure if I was saying out loud or in my head. I thrashed and fell on the ground. A horrible pain was burning inside my head and I was desperately trying to remove the helmet while at the same time trying to bring back the images of Cato.

My vision flashed between the video and the real world and I could see Gale coming in and out of focus. I wanted to reach out to him but my body began moving on its own and started charging at him.

"No no stop!" I tried to say, but my mouth wouldn't move. My whole body felt like stone and my limbs were moving under someone else's control. I wanted to stop and call out to someone but I couldn't. Every inch of my body was screaming in pain, and my heart was still reaching from losing Cato. My throat was burning with the words I was desperately trying to say. My mind was racing trying to convey every feeling, thought, regret and action.

Then finally, with every bit of strength that pain and anguish could muster I finally screamed.

_**"Help me!"**_

I screamed it over and over hoping someone would help me. I could see Gale running towards me, yelling something.

"But you can Errol! You can live on now!" I yelled running towards me. A burning sensation in my head flooded my mind and I became filled with a desire to kill Gale, but I was able to fight it back. He grabbed me and slammed me to the ground.

"No one said you had no right to live Errol." Gale said to me. I could see the pain in his eyes and the desperation on his face.

"But I'm in so much pain, he's no where, where I can see him!" I said with tears flowing out of my eye. I put both my feet under Gale and kicked him off. He went flying a few feet, but was quickly replaced by Peeta. Peeta ran towards me as I was rising and another burning sensation told me to kill him. I tried to hold it back but when Peeta grabbed me and held me tightly my body seemed to go limp.

"Your feeling will go on Errol...everyone will hear you now." He said with a kind voice. I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't control myself, especially when I drew my knife and stabbed him in the gut. He drew back and looked me in the eye. He seemed so at peace with himself. He smiled at me as a drop of blood trickle down his mouth and as he fell to the ground.

I could hear Gale scream Peeta's name but all I could do was stare at Peeta on the ground. He was still alive but just barely.

_"No they wont Peeta. My feelings won't go onto anyone now..."_ I said managing to make a small smile.

**_"And that's...and that's why!"_** I said cutting myself off. I pulled a knife hidden my his sleeve and stabbed directly for Peeta's throat. I could hear Gale yelling and yelling but everything became slow and silent.

_-Gale's view-_

I couldn't get to them and Peeta was already passed out.

Flashes of Peeta's life came flowing through my mind. It was an odd sensation where I was seeing Peeta's memories as my own. People say when two people are close they can actually see each others most important memories, so when I saw a flash of my first kiss with Peeta through Peeta's eyes, I knew Peeta wold be my first love, and my last one.

Everything suddenly became dark and the lights started to flicker away one by one. I thought I was passing out, or dying but when I looked up at the sky I saw the sun flickering out of the sky like a television screen. Patches of the arena dome started flickering off and on and some blanked off completely. Errol had stopped and was looking upwards. A large rumbling started shaking the ground and the arena's sky started turning off in whole chunks. Another rumbling sent tremors through the ground and I immediately recognized the sound. An explosion, dozens of them.

Suddenly flames punched a large hole through the center of the arena dome and large pieces of debris fell from the sky. The arena was collapsing, it was being destroyed. More pieces of the ceiling began falling and the arena went completely dark, except for the fire and sparks created by the explosions. Light began streaming from the outside sun and with it came a large fast moving shadow.

It moved swiftly dodging the falling debris and was speeding towards our position. It floated through the last of the ceiling and hovered over the top of us. In the meager sunlight I was able to make out its shape.

It was a hovercraft.

The arena continued to collapse around us and more explosions rocked the area, burning the forest and destroying everything around us. The hovercraft flew lower and lower while the loading hatch opened from behind. A spotlight flashed over Errol and Peeta while a figure ran out over the hatch, it needled down over the edge and held out its hand to Errol. Errol wasn't moving but was transfixed by the lights sounds and person holding out their hand. As my vision came into focus and my hearing returned I could hear the figure calling Errol's name over and over as Errol slowly reached his hand upward.

I looked towards Errol reaching his hand out to the figure, and saw Cato taking hold of his hand.

* * *

I hated writing this story, its so long. But the next one is much better


	26. RE:Update

Boys and girls I am so sorry about all of this confusion. I shouldn't have posted the last chapter as I did so I'm taking it down and completely redoing it as we speak. Unfortunately that's going to take some time so I beg for your patience and understanding.

I ruv you all so much and thank you for reading as much as you have. I have the strict belief that sorties do not belong to the person who writes them but the people who read them and enjoy them, so to do right unto my fabulous readers I will try and repair my stories just for you.

-Galala


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